The Eidolon Incubus
by grim alien
Summary: Life changed drastically for Rikku ever since the Gullwings split, but it flipped into a labyrinth when Gippal showed up one day with a sinister glint in his eye, driven by a passionate ardor. R for language and sexual content, RG lemon, ON HIATUS
1. Operation Recreation

_**Summary:** The Gullwings have split to continue down their own separate paths, so Rikku supposes she must as well. Nineteen still hasn't changed her undaunted, optimistic persona, and although she lives alone amongst the sticky sand dunes of Bikanel Island, she lives with pride. That is, until he entered her tent that hot summer day and things just sort of . . . happened. _

Please stick with this story 'til the end of the chapter at least. The beginning is a little flat, but everything starts to pick up once you get into it, I promise!

_**Disclaimer**: I own the plot and idea for this story, but not the characters or the places mentioned (unless I happen to create my own). I am not writing this fanfiction for profit, either._

_**Author's Warning:** Caution when reading this. If you are easily offended, please take note that this story is rated M for language and nudity so if you are easily offended by said adult situations, please click the back button now. Thank you! _

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**Chapter I: Operation Recreation**

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After Tidus returned to Spira, the lands began to . . . change. Not to say it was his fault, of course, but that our world began to evolve at a much more rapid pace, as if it were a growing organism, finding that a moment to stop and catch its breath a waste of time. The Al Bhed began to rebuild Zanarkand. Rebuild Zanarkand? _You can't rebuild holy ground_, was what everyone thought, but apparently, there were no gods to strike them down from their progress anymore, contrary to popular belief. New Yevon desperately tried to stop them from continuing their mission, saying that Zanarkand was holy ground and that it shouldn't be abused with new age technology. The Al Bhed quipped that Zanarkand was a far more elite and sophisticated city then than anything Spira's built in recent decades, and that was over a thousand years ago! Don't you think it's time that we caught up with the progress that they in the past have made? Why are we still so primitive? Machina are not evil . . .you made it evil because of your former misuse of it, mistakes you've made in the past and present that contradict the holy teachings you've managed to pass off as scripture and punish the rest of us for your ancestors' idiocy!

New Yevon's reply was silent. I thought that maybe they needed Echo Screen, and considered shipping them a few bottles worth.

After that nobody else took the effort to try and stop us, the Al Bhed, after my people's excellent arguing skills stung the opposed. In a way, I felt guilty about helping my people out. We couldn't rebuild our original home, so we hijack the ruins of a thousand year-old city and try and make it our own? It reminded me of the time that no good Pops of mine turned Zanarkand into a tourist attraction . . . the place we had cried so many unshed tears long ago. When I brought this up with Gippal, the leader of our organization (alongside Pops), he just chuckled that arrogant chuckle of his and called me silly, that we're just making use of the abandoned land around us. These ruins would have gone to waste and disintegration if we hadn't taken charge. In a way, I guess he was right; yet it just seems so . . . wrong.

I also brought my case up with Yuna and Tidus, infuriated with my people for not a single one of them would hear me out. Surely Tidus would have a comment worth hearing, right? He lived in Zanarkand himself (well, kind of)! Wouldn't he want to protect the sacred ruins we had fought so many battles in?

But all I got was an interested look from him and a thoughtful one from Yunie. "You know," he recalled, sounding intrigued, "I wouldn't mind living at home again. To be able to see the bright lights; the city that never sleeps one more time before . . . whenever I leave." And that was all the public needed to hear to be assured that the Al Bhed were in the right for recreating the city or pyre flies and rusting metal. I, surely, couldn't protest, either. I mean, if he's okay with this, why should I be bothered? He's the one who should be sensitive about this subject, so maybe I'm just being paranoid. Wakka agrees with me, though, except that doesn't help my case much. Just look at Wakka! It's sort of like agreeing with Brother! But hey, Brother's in the clear: he's for Operation Recreation all the way. Maybe we just all miss home so badly, that we'd do anything (even hijack the ruins of an ancient city) to feel apart of something once more.

Well, I guess you could say I have this gut feeling that something bad might happen from all of this. Intuition, I think it's called. I mean, so many bad things have come from Zanarkand . . . that is because of a certain dogmatist city I know. Do you think some nasty big bad will erect itself from the ruins and get its revenge upon Bevelle?

I'm a little . . . afraid.

Spira, although a revolution has been sweeping the nation, hasn't really changed all that much. Just our technology and the way our minds are branching off into broader horizons, but we're all still apart of the same old Spira. New Yevon's griping; the Youth League is pursuing a universal change, and the Al Bhed are still cranky, machina obsessed loyalists. I don't feel much different from when I was seventeen; that being only two years ago, and I feel as if this world is moving on . . . without me. Maybe I'm still upset, sad with how the Gullwings broke up a year and a half ago. I tried to keep everyone together, but . . . my actions were in vain. Pieces of our group kept foiling away, becoming a pyre fly and drifting off into the Farplane. I'd like to blame Tidus; a miniscule selfish part of me had; yet I suppose it was bound to happen…eventually.

_"But . . . but you can't leave!" I cried, tugging onto Paine's arm with all my might._

_"Rikku, I'm sorry, but all of my questions have been answered. Everyone is moving on with his or her lives, and maybe I should as well. I can't keep dabbling in the past," she replied coolly, yanking her arm out of my desperate grasp._

_"But we still have so much more to learn! So much to see! So many spheres to uncover!" I rambled, grabbing at any excuse to keep her on the Celsius for just a moment longer._

_Paine stopped at the portal and sighed, a gloved hand running across her face as fingers massaged throbbing temples. She finally turned to me and replied, softening her voice and trying to sound rational, "Please, Rikku, understand this: we are not the Gullwings anymore. Yuna and Tidus left to go live in Guadosalam to pursue a career in…politics, Shinra abandoned us to go help speed progress in Zanarkand, and Brother and Buddy seem to be growing restless without them. I'm actually surprised that I was this late in the game to finally leave. Well, enough is enough. I'll be located in Bevelle, if you ever need me." With that said, she nodded her final farewell to me and teleported to her lover, Baralai._

I was left staring at the floor, pondering on what to do with my life now. Buddy and Brother would always stand by their beloved ship, but what of me? What of poor, little ol' me? They'd find new recruits for the Gullwings shortly, and I didn't want to be apart of that select group of people . . . apart of strangers. So, I did what any desperate girl at a time like that would do . . . go back home.

Ha, much help that did. Pops was busy with Gippal and their plans the entire time I was living in Bikanel Desert, and all of the other Al Bhed were occupied as well, reconstructing torn down skyscrapers and digging up feasible parts for more helper machina. Once again, I spend my days here, on Bikanel Island (sometimes visiting Zanarkand as well, with a cheerful smile on my face and a ratchet in one hand; progress really is being made), waiting for something exciting to happen. I know this usually isn't like me, I enjoy looking for fun instead of waiting around for it to surprise my sniveling boredom, but I'm at a crossroads right now and I've already walked every crevice and corner of Spira five times around. I guess I've camped out at these crossroads for far too long, I've realized, but what is there to do but . . . wait?

That is, until _he _came back for me. That _had_ to be the turning point . . . the point of no return.

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Gippal smirked at the entryway to my tent as I fiddled with a machina toy, repairing it for an Al Bhed child.

"Still tinkering with toys, Cid's girl?" He asked, shattering my silence and concentration. I jumped, startled, and dropped the toy as my hands flew into the air, letting it drop to the sand and disassemble.

"Oh, now look what you've made me do!" I exclaimed as I dropped to the floor from my springy bed and fetched the broken pieces, clambering about and shooing the sand aside to try and find the missing nuts and screws.

Gippal just laughed at my earnest search. I must've looked pretty childish, digging around like a kid in a sandbox, but I'd promised to repair this toy for a crying child! Gippal is such a jerk! He never considers anybody else's feelings but his own!

I could hear him shuffling his way through the sand to where I was crouched down, but didn't dare look up at him. Seeing that handsome mug of his would be far too painful, only to remind me that I was feeling kind of . . . well, nostalgic. So I kept at it until I found all of the missing pieces and screws and pounced up abruptly, almost knocking heads with the sneering, spiky blonde before me. He was only a few inches away. The closeness of our bodies was so sudden that I dropped all of my pieces again, each nut and bolt slipping out of my fingers one by one with soft 'puts' to the sandy floor.

"Oh, pooey . . ." I trailed off as his lone emerald-green eye burned into my own, flaming with a sadistic passion that didn't belong to Gippal. That glare of his . . . so intense, yet I found myself frozen in the limelight of his guttural gaze.

"Rikku . . . " He trailed off as well, voice husky with hidden emotion. A large hand with lengthy fingers wandered its way to my blushing cheek, the rough leather of his glove pressed against my skin. I wasn't aware of what he had in mind, why he had shown up out of the blue just to embarrass me, so I stood there and furrowed my brows wondering if I should push him away or not.

"Gippal, are you okay?" I asked, voice brushing a whisper. It was noisy outside, what with all of the expeditions and hovers driving about, yet I could only hear his breathing. He inhaled sharply and trailed both hands down the small of my back, his intense gaze never wavering from my own befuddled eyes.

_Okay, this is becoming a little too close for comfort. _

"Gippal, what are you doing, let go of me," I demanded and I pushed against his chiseled abdomen as he found his way to the hem of my denim skirt. Before I could smack him a good one, he sensed my intentions beforehand and pulled me against the warmth of his body with strong, unrelenting arms, head bowed to lick the lobe of my ear. His body radiated heat, scolding my bare skin as he refused to loosen his tight grip. The Bikanel Desert was already searing hot out as it is, so I was sweating bullets by the time my own warmth reacted and raced to the surface.

"Gippal," I gasped furiously as he trailed a lone hand beneath my skirt, cupping a bare cheek as his other hand pulled the fine material all the way up over my waist. He didn't say I word but I could tell by his breathing pattern that he felt cool and under control while violating me, allowing his passion to straddle him senseless. I can usually pack a good punch when the occasion calls for it . . . but now I was rendered helpless against such powerful, familiar arms. Damn g-strings.

My hand unconsciously found its way to the back of his head, caressing the soft blond roots and allowing my desire to ride me as well. My eyelids became heavy and breathing became difficult and rigid; my body needed him at that very moment. I guess I was more nostalgic than I thought. He fell on top of me on the stiff, springy bed that I slept on every night (though I didn't mind the uncomfortable tossing and turning as much as the sand in my eyes this past year), and straddled my hips. Gippal used brute force to snap open my bikini bra with anxious hands and I was fully exposed by the time my senses caught up with me.

_Wait . . . this is wrong! I shouldn't be doing this! I should be fixing that toy for the kid I promised! What is wrong with Gippal? No, what is wrong with _me Thoughts raced through my blurry head, every question popping up without a single decent answer. I couldn't focus; I was wet before Gippal even brushed his rough fingertips against my sensitive nipples. I could tell he was hard since his waist was pressed between my thighs, the pressure so fiery and intense it bruised. My legs were spread around his waist and I don't know how they got there, locked around his rocking hips. _This is so wrong._

Before I could protest and shoo him away from my numb limbs and torso, I sighed a wordless moan. His lips were locked around my left nipple, tongue caressing the tip lightly and leaving a wet trail from one soft end to the other. In a defiant ecstasy I realized that my hands were still massaging the back of his head and, huffily remembering where and who this was, slid my fingers through his greasy spikes and yanked them back sharply, his head violently jerking up with it. He growled—growled!—and I hissed silently from the sudden pain since his teeth had violently tugged my nipple up with it. _Ouch, that's gonna be bruised tomorrow._

I caught my breath as he stumbled backwards and shouted, "_What are you doing?_ We shouldn't be doing this! This isn't like you, Gippal!" My eyes were still glued shut from the embarrassment so I couldn't read his reaction . . . but it wasn't what I had expected at all. Regaining his taut composure, Gippal wrapped large hands around my wrists and forced them down to the head of the bed with my head slamming down to the mattress with it. I felt completely helpless, locked in the shadows of his body looming over mine. He gathered both of my small wrists to one bronze hand and used the other to untie the cross-stitch of his tight, leather pants. He must've just gotten back from Zanarkand (since it's pretty cold up there) because no sane Al Bhed would wear black, skintight leather in the Bikanel Desert. Also, his bootstraps crawled all the way up to his knees, making it near impossible for him to fully remove (er, peel) his what he calls pants off, so maybe I just had sand in my eyes for thinking he was going to . . . 'unsheathe' himself. Not such a bright idea to wear an outfit like that if he ever planned on raping me that day (even if he's been wearing that same leather-clad attire ever since he decided he needed a 'change' in wardrobe almost year ago). His shirt wasn't even an actual shirt; it was just metal welded in with straps of leather to protect him from sharp machinery at work.

_There's definitely no way he can rape me_, I thought with false hope in the millisecond I had to conjure up a plan,_ those pants must be glued to his butt! And what about his underwear?_

But lucky me soon found out that briefs and boxers weren't one of Gippal's top priorities. _This whole time he hasn't been wearing underwear! EW! So much for the new wardrobe! _He was fully exposed, lean and erect, and the only material separating us now was my orange bikini bottom. Little to say, that wasn't much; he could easily snap the string holding it all together and be inside of me before you can say Macalania Woods . . . and that was exactly what he had in mind. Gippal leered down at me masochistically and let one of his hands creep its way down to the bright string. A desperate reminder flashed across my mind right then. _Duh! Your legs are still wrapped around his hips!_

Right as he snapped the string, I jammed my knees into the sides of his ribs and began attacking his calves with my feet, driving the heel of my shoes into his muscled calves. He cried out in pain and loosened his grip around my wrists just long enough to let me sit up slightly and land a blow to his jaw. His head jerked to the side, body wrenching with it as his butt smacked hard onto the end of my stiff bed. There wasn't any time to cover up and Gippal would be on top of me again before my feet could ever reach the sand, so I did what I always did whenever Gippal was being a dick (or, in this case, acting with his dick): I punched his blind eye. It was still covered with that damn eye patch, but I knew what effect it had on him.

Gippal cried out in pain and clutched at the surrounding skin around his eye, but that only made him yelp out louder. A blurry wave engulfed his body as what seemed a sadistic aura began to ripple out of his pores. He cried out in pain once more and cursed a guttural word that held no meaning as the blur faded into an enigma.

"_Fuck_, Rikku, what was that for?" Gippal hollered after a moment of grinding bared teeth, closing his left eye tightly as I sat back down on the bed to try and catch my stolen breath.

"What was that for? _What was that for!_" I shouted back, drawing my foot up to my stomach and kicking him with shaken anger in the stomach. He fell to the sand and coughed noisily, desperately trying to breathe at a normal rate again. I slid off of the bed and walked around to the edge only to find him hacking hoarsely and clutching at his bruised ribs on the floor. Ugly colors began to blossom on his jaw and peeked out from underneath the patch on his eye, but I didn't pity him. He was about to . . . well, you know! I'm still a virgin! I didn't want Gippal to pop my cherry, especially if he was doing it out of force and desire, not love! So I kicked him in the stomach over and over again until he pleaded with misty eyes for me to stop. That's when I bent down and punched his still exposed privates with rippling knuckles, but he was no longer hard. In fact, after the impact I made, my fist rested there for a short second and I could feel how soft and tender it was. _Gross!_ I thought as I yanked my arm away.

"Oh, he _bleeds_," I hissed through gritted teeth as his head lulled to the sand and spurted out dribbles of bright blood.

"Fuck, Rikku, please! Oh shit. _Stop!_" He coughed, clutching weakly at my ankle. His lips were smeared in shiny crimson that trickled down his chin and onto the sand, creating a small puddle of blood.

"Why should I?" I spat, a lone hot tear trailing down my cheek. I don't know why I was crying. Maybe I was just so upset over the fact that he tried to rape me . . . or maybe it was because I had to watch him squirm in a writhing pain that _I_ had caused. I couldn't believe that I had just beaten the crap out of Gippal and wanted to erase all of his bruises and pangs at the same time . . . but no, no one gets away with almost slipping Rikku the hot beef injection! Not without having to answer to Mr. and Mrs. Fist, first! So I crumbled to the ground beside him and let his hand slip away from my ankle. My hand landed in the pool of blood beside him, but I didn't mind. My poor Gippal . . . what had come over him? What possessed him to do that to me? And why had I almost allowed him to do that to me? There could only be one explanation, but what?

"What did I do?" He whispered, tongue licking the drying blood off from around his lips. My shoulders heaved as I sobbed quietly, my left sandy hand reaching out to lightly finger the bruise inching around his jaw line. I felt so horrible; a stone-like lump was caught in my throat. I tried to swallow it down, but it only pained me more.

"You . . . you don't remember?" I asked confusedly as he winced beneath my touch. I pulled my hand away hastily and kept it hovering above his jaw, but didn't dare touch it again. I no longer bared the burden of anger for him, surprisingly. It evaporated like the scattered rain after a storm. I just didn't want to hate him, and I especially didn't want him to hate me.

Sometimes . . . you can feel so weak.

"I kind of remember coming in here . . . and you were messing around with some toy," he recalled, furrowing his brows. He rolled his head upward to see my shattered state and gasped to find that my bikini set had been snapped. "The rest is fuzzy. What happened there?" He asked weakly, clearly making point of my half-exposed breasts as he hastily looked away in disdain.

"You tried to . . . do something to me . . . and I kicked the crap out of you," I laughed half-heartedly, tears streaming down my cheeks and neckline. I smiled but when he didn't return the gesture, I frowned again.

Quizzical lines creased his face. He felt along his ribs to make sure none were broken and traced his hand all the way down to his . . . um, little friends. Wincing again, he covered his bruised parts with one hand while his other found it's way to my own, one that was still resting in his pool of blood. "Oh."

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_**A/N**: Hello! Grimmy here, that was my first FFX-2 fanfic. Please take kindly to the plot, it's only just developing. I hope none of you were upset with my 'sometimes' graphic writing, and hopefully you didn't find it lame. I did, I hated writing that scene up there (well, not really . . . thinksmischievousthoughts). Okay, I take that back; I love writing scenes like that XD. Anyway, obviously, no, Gippal was not responsible for his actions, but that's all I'm going to say. Also, I'm sorry if Rikku and Gippal seem a little out of character. I don't know why, but I thought they were. Rikku should be more outgoing yet I made her seem like a house wife . . . then again, there are a lot of fanfictions out there that make an OOC Rikku and oftentimes Gippal, so I thought, "Hey, if you aren't satisfied with their work, why not make your own?" I've been writing since . . . forever! My other fanfictions are at harshdecember, an account I truly despise as of now. Gawd I sucked at writing. I hope that you found my current writing coherent and neat, because I'm a little rusty (I've been drawing more lately and have been considering an FFX-2 manga). I just want you to understand that I'm not too friendly with flames (which is if you just bash my fanfiction without criticism), but will accept thoughtful criticism, which is either relevant to my writing style or the plot. Oh yeah, I'm also a big Rikku/Gippal shipper (Rikku is so adorable! ) obviously, so expect much lemon . . . and even twice as much drama._

**(chapter written in August of 2004, chapter reedited in September of 2005)**


	2. Possession

_A/N: In the conversation below, I wanted them to speak in Al Bhed but I'm too lazy to actually look up the translations, so just imagine that they're speaking in Al Bhed. (is very lazy uu) Also, I figured it'd be inconvenient for you, considering that I'd have to type out the Al Bhed then tell you what it means, so it works out for all of us._

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**Chapter II: Possession**

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At night, the Bikanel Desert cools below its average temperature. It's odd: it isn't exactly humid during the day, only the sun radiates heat, which gives the illusion of humidity. The temperature drops dramatically as the sun slowly disappears below the land's ridge, so that must explain why I was so cold that night. That night, everyone was huddled around a small fire, flickering just a few yards away from my tent. I had my back turned to the open entryway; I didn't want to have to see the disgusted faces of our fellow Al Bhed as Pops explained the matter at hand. I knew where Gippal was. I bet he thought I couldn't sense his presence, but he was just a foot away from my tent, away from the entrance. I don't know why he was standing there, so close to his victim (though I'd rather not give it that name), but I had a theory. He's always been so protective over me, even when I was apart of the Gullwings. Back when our home still stood, he'd protect me from the other Al Bhed kids, claiming that they had 'cruel intentions'. Please, I can and always could handle myself, thank you very much! I always used to think that Brother or Pops put him up to it, but in the back of my mind I finally realized that Gippal would always give me this . . . look of possession. It said, "Back off, she's mine," to the others, and that's why I grew up without many friends. That's also why I've always cherished Yunie's, Paine's, and Tidus' friendship. Gippal would never give them that 'look', especially now.

When I first helped form the Gullwings (though Buddy and Brother shut my word down whenever I claim to have helped form it); he would watch over me like a hawk every chance he got. He even suggested that _he _should join the Gullwings as well, but boy did Brother have a hissy fit about that. After a while, it seemed like he began not to care as much. He had his own life to attend to, just as much as I did. I've always had this nagging feeling, though: was there somebody else? No, there couldn't have been, or so said according to a coworker of Gippal's. He said that Gippal worked night and day and didn't seem to have much other time for a love interest. Afterwards . . . he seemed to have resented me. Whenever I would visit Djose Temple, he either ignored me (void filled with hostility) or shut me down completely. That nagged me the most; why has he been so hostile towards me lately? Well, not lately exactly, but when I was still apart of the Gullwings. He always seemed so . . . upset. That cocky smirk of his was just to throw you off, like a lupus in chocobo's clothing. I knew exactly what lie beneath his cool exterior, but I can't seem to put it into words. Maybe one day he'll tell me why he's shut me down in the past, and even why he's always been so possessive over me. There was no way he could have ever actually _liked _me, but . . . I don't know. Everything is just all so confusing. The pieces to this puzzle will fall into place eventually.

Or so I hoped.

"We don't know much 'bout the situation so far, but the boy's got a . . . what'd'ya call those things . . ." I could hear Pops trail off. He never was too bright, but he sure did get to the point right away instead of jumping on hot coal. I could never decide whether his bluntness was a virtue or a misfortune. My ears were keen on the conversation being spread throughout the campfire, even if I dreaded the consequences on Gippal's part. I pulled the knit blue blanket around my shoulders more, shivering, although I wasn't cold. The bed, as always, was too stiff to bear. I've adapted to this and my surroundings for the past year or so, but that night, I ached all over the place. Goosebumps crawled down my spine and slithered down my arms, sending me into compulsions of shivers. The rape wasn't _that_ extreme; even the majority of me _wanted_ him to continue, but I could tell . . . that wasn't him. That look in his eye . . . it wasn't his familiar look of possession and sarcasm, it was sadistic, desirable, and fiendish. It scared me.

It wasn't Gippal who was trying to rape me (and who I actually wanted to), it was . . . somebody else entirely. I only realized that the two didn't connect that night, after remembering the look in that lone eye of his. Earlier that day, I just didn't know what to do or who to believe. But really, maybe I'm just making a big deal out of nothing.

"Cid, there is no honest explanation for Gippal's actions. She's your daughter! How can you defend him?" An upset Al Bhed woman protested.

"Well, I know Gippal's got a heart o' gold! There ain't no way he could'a done this without bein' possessed or somethin'!" Pops defended, sounding like fickle fool. I agreed with him . . . but he never was too great at defending his case. If I were skeptical on Gippal's behalf, I probably wouldn't have believed him, either.

"Yeah, right, and who would actually possess him and try to rape Rikku, anyway? That makes a load of sense. Don't tell me you believe in ghost stories now, do you?" An ethnic man scoffed.

"Well, Shinzu, there _are_ ghosts that live among us. Well, they don't exactly live, to say, but ghost fiends, the unsent, or phantoms would be a perfectly good explanation for Gippal's actions," an elder woman explained, logic woven within her words. I mentally agreed with her, wanting so desperately for the majority to be on Gippal's side as well.

"Hey, who was with Gippal last before the . . . um . . . incident?" Another voice questioned. Every Al Bhed (well, every important one, anyway) must have been there, commuting over the situation at hand. Shinra was out there somewhere too, and Buddy and Brother would be on their way soon. Oh joy, can't wait for Brother to give us his two cents worth. He'll more likely take it up with Gippal directly, but I'll just have to make sure that no more damage is inflicted on him than necessary (I've already taken care of that).

Then, a familiar voice sounded throughout the squabbling and bickering, rising over their arguing. "I was with Gippal last. We were installing commspheres at the farthest brink of the ruins, to keep future survey over the area. You never know when a fiend might arise from a distance without our knowledge of it," Shinra told them, voice just as low and intelligent as it had been two years ago.

"You and those damn commspheres, Shinra," another familiar voice stated, voice flavored with humor. Wait, that voice . . . Buddy! I sat up quickly, almost giving myself whiplash, then regretted it as soon I had done it. I saw the shadow of Gippal's head turn towards my direction from outside of the tent, curious as to know of what I was doing. Oopsies! My thin, sky blue blanket fell to my waist as I sat as still as a Ronso monument, afraid to move an inch in fear of Gippal wanting to investigate further. Surely he could see my shadow as well, since my tent was illuminated with candles flickering around each corner, giving the room an orange glow.

But Gippal wasn't able to investigate any further, since another figure stepped up to him and caught his attention as well.

"You disgusting, bastard pervert!" An accented voice shouted, punching Gippal square in the jaw just as I had done earlier that day. "How _dare_ you try and rape my little sister like that!" He continued with a tone thick with venom. You'd have thought that his saliva was poisonous, it was that painful to listen to.

"Brother!" I shouted, hopping out of bed hastily, almost slipping in the sand. I stumbled my way to the exit and saw that Gippal had the upper hand in this one, actually. Hmm, that was odd . . . I could've sworn that Gippal would have let him beat him to a bloody pulp. He let me. I know how strong Gippal, in truth, can be. He could've taken me down . . . but then again; he can be pretty weak sometimes, too. Sometimes he's just . . . careless. I wish he'd watch his back a little more often. Arrogance, humph.

"Stop it!" I shouted, dashing between Brother and Gippal. Gippal almost swung a fist at me by accident but restrained himself at the last second. My eyelids were squeezed shut, prepared for the blow, but when I didn't feel the impact one eye slit open.

"Rikku! Get out of way! This manly business!" Brother warned, attempting to shove me out of the way. When he dared touch me, fury pounced its way down my throat and into my hands, forcing my left one to slap him hard across the face. It left a fine, red handprint on his right cheek, and it wasn't just my rage that bubbled up onto the surface.

"_Rikku_! How _dare_ you slap me!" Brother shouted, jabbing a finger right before my face. I wrinkled my nose and spread my arms like a petrigrins, clearly defending Gippal.

"_Enough already_!" I shouted, voice ringing across the desert sands. Every Al Bhed looked our way; there must've been at least fifty of them, burning a hole into me with their eyes.

"Rikku, don't," Gippal whispered, clearly wanting to place a hand on my shoulder but feared that the gesture would cause an uproar. I could read Gippal's aura like a book, even if he wasn't in my line of sight. He said my name for once, which meant he was being pretty damn serious. Ah well.

"Everybody, just shut-up already!" I demanded again as I pounded my fists down into air, yet still managed to stand at a defense stance in front of Gippal. I had had enough, time to set everybody straight! "Hear me out, please! I want to get to the bottom of this just as much as you do, probably even more! No, a lot more! But you can't keep pointing fingers at Gippal! I saw . . . I saw something, something very unreal in his eyes!" _Eyes?_ "Just hold on! This may be connected with Zanarkand-"

"Oh, no," a few from the crowd groaned, interrupting my speech.

I rolled my eyes and continued, "Listen!"

"Rikku, we love you babe, but there's no way he could've been possessed or somethin' from Zanarkand. Don't bring your politics into this heinous mess," Shinzu said, waving away my words. I liked Shinzu and all, but he was really beginning to tick me off. He reminded me of Buddy a lot (considering that they're brothers and all), and even looked plenty like him, but Buddy and Shinzu were different in a lot of ways. Buddy was on my side with the whole Zanarkand ordeal, while Shinzu was for Operation Recreation entirely. Since Buddy was against O.R., it made nerves tense aboard the Celsius with Brother. Politics with Brother was like trying to dance around a feisty, killer fang: you just didn't get out of there alive without being bitten. Shinzu had a shaven head and industrial straps that buckled all along his dark chest, which connected to navy blue shorts, the hem ending right below his knees. He wore black sandals that didn't flatter the rest of his outfit much and yellow goggles that would make you think twice if he were a very large bug or not. The rest of his features resembled Buddy's: _a lot_. Now that I think back on it, how did I ever not recognize him in the first place?

"Hey, why don't you guys hear her out for once?" Buddy asked, stepping forward. My eyes lit up to see him again, defending my case. I really did miss Buddy while I was away; he always made me laugh. But Gippal made me laugh even more, which was why I had to protect him and our unity. _Wait, unity? I need to get out more._

"Hey, Cid's Kid, don't do me any favors, alright?" Gippal stated, voice low for my ears only.

"Shut-up right now, okay?" I replied, voice just as secretive and low. My voice rang out once more, "Shinra, when you were with Gippal last, did anything . . . strange happen?"

"Actually," Shinra replied, "I wasn't essentially _with_ him, but in the same area. We installed the commspheres and left. I wasn't surveying his activity at the time." A long pause stretched out between my people.

"Hey, do the commspheres record whatever's going on during the time you're not logged on?" Buddy broke the silence, turning to Shinra with everybody else. Since everyone was captivated with Shinra at that very moment, it was no surprise that Gippal grabbed my arms and brought them down to still at my sides. Fortunately, Brother had quieted down after I had slapped him and told him off, so he was over with the others by this time, griping over _something_. When was he not, really?

Gippal yanked me over to his chest, keeping a firm grip on my wrists. Somehow I knew that this was the real Gippal this time, so I didn't struggle. "Don't fuck with me, kid. What's the real reason you're defending me? And after what I did to you?" He hissed in my ear.

"You're innocent! You said it yourself; you can't remember what went on during that time! How can you _not_ defend yourself?" I whispered back, heart rates speeding up a few notches after feeling his hot breath steam against the back my neck.

"I . . ." He trailed off, sighed, then continued, "I don't know what's going on. All that I know is that there's no way you're going to be safe if I stick around."

"Then why did you? Why were you near the outside of my tent, or more likely, _right by it_? Why did you come back, Gippal?" I hissed, my head leaning back a touch so he could hear me better . . . bad mistake. The back of my head rested on the crook of his neck while his head was bent down beside mine, his lips just a touch away from brushing my cheek. He trailed his hands down mine until our fingers entwined, wrapping each other's warmth around our skin like a fur coat. Even though the air around us was thin and chilly, a wave of heat encased our skin, sending goosebumps down our arms. We felt the same pleasure, the same need, the same desire . . . I wanted nothing more but to trail my tongue along the indentation in his stomach, all the way up to the sprouting hairs on his black and blue chin. He was beautiful, a golden god that should have been printed on a gil coin instead of sweating in a machina temple. I bit my bottom lip when the image crossed my mind: Gippal fingering his bare chest, sweating and huffing after a long day's work. A shudder escaped his lips (I could tell he was thinking similar thoughts) and I would have as well if the crowd hadn't turned back towards the scene we were making. _Uh-oh_.

Gasps echoed throughout the crowd, confused faces to enraged ones. I could only see through the slits in my eyes; I wanted to close them completely and drown in Gippal's ecstasy, his new aura. But sex could wait; shocking our fellow Al Bhed wasn't exactly on my agenda.

"I- . . ." A lump was caught in my throat, but it wasn't from any urge to cry. Gippal bent his head down completely, face shadowed as he brushed his lips along the line of my neck. A knot was caught _below_, ready to break (more like explode) if he continued placing butterfly kisses up the soft of my neck and along the line of my jaw. I bit my bottom lip again, mentally pleading for him to stop, yet at the same time, begging for him to continue. My eyes fluttered closed, and a wash of neutral pleasure took over me. I no longer cared if the others were gaping at us in horror; I needed him, more than oxygen, more than a lifeline. No, he _was_ my lifeline.

_Don't stop_, I silently wished. He let one of my hands fall crippled to my side, while his own found it's way to my underbelly. His fingers were oh-so gentle, like lace, as they traced along my stomach downwards, tickling the few light hairs on my abdomen.

"Stop this _immediately_!" I could faintly hear Pops demand. The next thing I knew, our pleasure had disappeared. Our heat had returned to a hush of cool, crisp air, and no longer did I feel the desire for him to continue, since his grasp was out of reach. Pops pulled me away from him, shattering our fragile embrace, holding me together. Yevon knows I couldn't.

"P . . . Pops?" I gasped, clamping both of my hands atop my mouth in disbelief. Three Al Bhed held Gippal at a death grip, restricting him from reaching out to me. Gippal struggled violently, jerking left and right, trying to find slack in their grip so he could come to me again. I was terrified. This wasn't like Gippal at all. Gippal would never touch me like that unless I made the first move. Who was this? This was not Gippal!

"That isn't Gippal!" I cried out, hands swinging to my sides, balling into fists. Another hot tear trailed down my cheek, dripping to the sand like it had before. Oh great, just what I needed, another Sob Fest.

Gippal elbowed the Al Bhed holding tightly onto his right arm. The man coughed hoarsely and bent over his stomach a notch, but never let his grip slip. I wiped away another tear and cracked my knuckles, using my thumb to help bend each finger until it popped. It was go time . . . yet again. I stalked over to the struggling Gippal and stared him dead in the eye. He still struggled, but focused on my intentions a little more so now. I smiled a wicked leer and brought my fist back for impact, eyes glowing a radiant green. I could see it in his eye: he knew what was coming. He tried to kick me, his hatred vibrating against my skin, but the three Al Bhed made sure that his feet stayed glued to the sand floor. That's when I let the blow rock him. His head was laid completely back by the time he came to his senses. That strange, sadistic aura left his handsome body; I could feel it rub like soft, faint velvet along my skin.

"Holy _fucking_ Yevon, Kid! I'm gonna kill you one day if you keep punching me right there! _Fuck!_" Gippal hollered. Yep, back to his same old self. Life was good again.

"Watch your language," an elder warned.

"Don't worry, I'm used to it. I would always punch him right there when he were kids," I flaunted, "though his swearing has gotten quite out of hand lately. I should mold you into shape." When he set his head upright again, I poked him directly on the patch. He scowled at me. I giggled.

"Why are you holding me?" Gippal demanded, eyeing his comrades. They released their grip right away, after accepting the knowledge that Gippal wasn't responsible for his actions, after all.

"Um, sorry boss," one feebly apologized.

"Why? What happened? Am I _innocent_, now?" Yep, that was our cocky Gippal that we all know and love!

"Something remarkable just happened!" An Al Bhed woman beamed.

"Yeah? Great, 'cause I'm tired of being the martyr," he replied, walking over to the fire. He shut me down completely as he passed, kicking sand into the winds. I rolled my eyes and sighed. _Typical_, I thought, and followed him with the rest of the other fifty Al Bhed. The others mumbled their apologies for not having faith in my word and followed after Gippal's footsteps, informing him on what he had just done to me. I stopped in my tracks and decided against joining the party.

"Man, guess there really is no such thing as a modest Al Bhed, huh?" Buddy joked, nudging Brother.

"Why you nudge me?" Brother demanded as his voice pitched with accusation.

"If you two ladies are done bickering-"

"Who bickers? Wait, I'm no lady! Shinra is lady!"

"You're right, you're a little girl!" I giggled, toeing the sand.

"Rikku, you-"

"What the fuck . . . Shinra, can you please continue?" Buddy ended the squabbling.

"Right . . . any who, so as I was telling the others, Rikku, commspheres-"

"Wait, but I didn't ask about commspheres," I pointed out.

" . . . I'm aware, but I just thought that you'd like to be informed-"

"Oh Yevon, has Shinra actually come around about telling us of importance instead of waiting for us to ask first?" I gasped in mock disbelief.

"Fine, just forget it," Shinra shook his head, taking a few steps away from out party before I grabbed at his arm. _He's still so short! I wonder how old he is, now?_

I giggled, "No, please, Shinra. I'm just kidding around! Please, continue."

He sighed in apparent exasperation. "As I was saying-"

"Stop it!" Brother hollered at Buddy as he kicked sand on his boots.

"That's it," Shinra put his foot down and walked away towards the growing crowd, surrounding the small fire.

"Oh, Shinra!" I called out, yet knew my efforts were in vain.

"Don't worry, Rikku, Shorty told us everything he knew . . . which is everything, according to him," Buddy informed, standing straight and still to show Brother that he was serious about this case. Brother kept still, as well, surprisingly.

"So, what's up?" I asked, giddy to learn. It's funny how tears can melt away to laughter, just a moment after confusion and a crowd's growing caution to their leader. There was still a thick, bubbling lump in my throat, but I tried to ignore it while Buddy talked with a serious tone.

"Shinra told us that the new commspheres they've been installing in Zanarakand hook up to a huge database, which can hold up to a thousand different spheres and about two hundred hours worth onto each one. This makes recording the surrounding area a lot easier, without wasting a lot of memory. Every three minutes, the commsphere activates without you having to log on and records just about every detail of the surrounding area for about ten minutes, until it logs off again. It may have recorded their activities in the area and if any strange paranormal activity was spied on during said time," Buddy finished, hands resting on his hips while Brother just danced in place, probably mocking Yunie when she hits the stage (that being just a week ago). He does a bad imitation of Yunie. When Buddy saw what had captivated my attention, he slapped Brother on the back of the head and turned back to me.

I shook my head and looked up at Buddy with bright eyes, "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go check out that sphere!" Saying that reminded me of when I was still apart of the Gullwings. It hurt to say and remember. That lump in my throat was getting pretty damn hard to ignore, now.

"It's not as simple as that," Buddy shook his head as well, "the station's back in Djose and, well . . ." He glanced over to the murmuring, wary crowd.

"They don't know what to do with that bastard Gippal!" Brother finished for him, stomping up and down like a grumpy child.

"That, and what to do with _you_," Buddy added. "You're in big trouble, missy."

"Wait, what did I do?" I demanded, folding my arms across my chest.

"Nothing, but it seems that whatever's controlling Gippal activates when you're around, Rikku. This shit is bad mojo, man, you don't wanna be caught up in the web," he clapped a hand onto my small shoulder, giving me a look that said, "Watch your back." The night was filled with twinkling stars, the sky as purple and black as Gippal's bruises, but I couldn't enjoy any of this—not even the sweet smell of desert sand when sprayed with breeze because I could only think of one person. I didn't want to be away from him any longer, even if our passion was under false pretenses.

"No," I shook my head, pulling away so Buddy's hand would fall limp to his side again. "No, I . . . I need to be near—at least near him. We have to clarify . . . a lot," I whispered those last words, spoken softly as my eyes caught sight of Gippal's stern yet intrigued expression, only yards away as he listened to the words of his people. He was speaking amongst the group, cracking a few jokes here and there from what I could tell since the others began laughing at random moments. I smiled weakly. The sight of him caught my breath and stilled my lungs, but there was business to attend to . . . much.

Gippal looked my way, probably feeling my stare at the back of his neck like an itch. I immediately averted my head back towards the foolish Buddy and Brother and giggled, hoping that Gippal would think otherwise of me staring at him for more than a second would. Now I could feel him stare at the back of my head, he still talking with the others but keeping full attention on me.

_I have chosen you. You belong to me now._

I whipped my head back around, my bright, orange hair, blowing in the breeze with it. Gippal's eyes were . . . different. Those words that had spoke with promise in my head weren't my own, but they weren't Gippal's words, either. A cackle echoed inside of my head, throbbing against my eardrums. I cringed and tried to block the sound out, but to no avail.

_We'll see who has the last laugh, darling_.

_oooooooooooooooooooo_

_A/N: Hmm . . . that ended up being a lot longer than I had first imagined for it to be . . . er, if you're actually reading this, sorry for such an uneventful chapter. That has to be about five pages worth of 'talking' scenes. Don't you hate 'talking' scenes in books? Especially when they're all just talking out of their asses, repeating the same damn subject like a broken record: "So we must do this? I don't understand. So we do that? Run that by me again. Why are we still talking?" Anyway, so again, sorry for all of the talking . . . I just wanted to make everything clear (hopefully I did), and explain a bit more on the subject matter. There is a definite connection between Rikku and Gippal's blind eye, which I'll hopefully get around to explaining in the next chapter. Everything will go a bit faster in the future, I promise! (no guarantees, though ) Also, I would like feedback on whether you've enjoyed the 'juicy bits' or not. My friend seems to have . . . but then again; she is my friend and all, so her word isn't exactly golden when it comes to critique. I really hope that, whoever you may be, have enjoyed reading this so far, because I've enjoyed writing it! I haven't been writing in months (except for my journal), so it really is a relief to finally vent my creative writing skills into a project like this. Do review, please! It's always nice to be appreciated, because I appreciate you! _

_P.S. After revising this chapter, I've realized in fact that maybe I don't go too slowly . . . but too fast! Oh, I'm so confused! **Please tell me whether you think that my chapters go too fast or too slow so that I may be able to fix my mistakes in the future!** Thank you!_


	3. Memores are Just Memories, Ya?

_oooooooooooooooooooo_

**Chapter III: Memories are Just Memories, Ya?**

_oooooooooooooooooooo_

_"Gippal, stop!" I protested, tugging on his arm urgently. He yanked his arm away from my grasp and waved me away in a dismissive manner, stepping forward. "Ugh, why must you be so stubborn, you arrogant prick?" I sighed, rubbing my temples._

_He glanced back at me, then back at his opponent, hissing, "You call me an arrogant prick? I'm defending you, you peppy brat!"_

_"I don't want to be defended! Forget about that air-head!" I shouted, stomping up to him and snatching at his collar, strangling him from behind._

_"Ha, I knew it, gonna have your chick fight your battles?" A young Al Bhed boy scoffed, snickering like a scaly snake until his cronies joined in. They were all fifteen, except for me, who was fourteen, yet they still acted like immature children. At the time, we were all living back at home where our city still stood. Bikanel Island was at its prime and machina couldn't have been more state of the art. Al Bhed teenagers were such meanies! I wanted to give them each a piece of my mind, but thought otherwise every time the opportunity arose because of Gippal. Gippal would never let me have any fun! He always had to 'protect' me! He was big on infuriating me to no end._

_Gippal tried to charge at the other fifteen-year-old, but I yanked him back before his spittle could even land on the cheek his opponent. He coughed an ugly sound, hacking as he fingered at his collar._

_"Ha, I knew it," the other prick laughed, black hair billowing in the wind. For a snotty, air-headed, fifteen-year-old Al Bhed boy, he sure was pretty hot. He almost reveled Gippal for the position of cutest Al Bhed boy, but Gippal's golden skin and platinum blond hair won him the gold. I never told him any of this, though. Gippal was an egotistic big head and I didn't want to have to add to his ego. Besides, if I spouted my opinions about how attractive he really is to him, he'd think that I . . . that I liked him or something! But then again, I'm so glad that I wasn't a good friend with Rikya. He was probably three times as arrogant as Gippal, and five times as stupid. Ugh, I couldn't stand him, even if he was easy on the eyes! Baby blue eyes, perfectly crafted jaw and cheekbones, and pale skin that illuminated against his black wardrobe and raven hair didn't attract me at all!_

_"I had him in the bag! Why'd you have to strangle me like that, Kid? Now he's gonna go off and talk shit about us!" He spat at me; spinning around to face my own angered one._

_"What do you care? I don't! What happened to your cool 'whatever' attitude?" I spat at him, fists shaking at my sides. I surveyed his befuddled expression and somehow softened my exasperation. "You've been so uptight lately," I said, tone softening with worry. I folded my arms across my chest and turned away from him, heading towards the metro section of the city. The streets were packed with Al Bhed, heading home from work since evening was dawning on Spira. I let my arms swing to my sides, hands balling into fists after recalling the little 'Town Square' scene I had just walked away from. I couldn't believe Gippal! Provoking a fight like that in public! What's gotten into him, lately? I was so infuriated that I could just punch somebody right then!_

_Someone lightly tugged at my blond ponytail, distracting my train of thought. Tiny bytes of electricity buzzed down my arms, zipping through my hands and along my fisted fingers. I swung around like a bolt of lightening and punched whoever had tugged at my hair, landing a blow to their face. Instead of punching his or her nose or jaw, as I had first intended to hit, my target was a little . . . off. Actually, way off._

_Gippal landed on the sidewalk with a loud 'smack', bouncing his head off the concrete. He lay limp on the cement, eyes closed and his lips half parted. The adult Al Bhed just simply avoided his body entirely, walking around the scene I had just made. A few seemed interested, but the rest could care less. I was horrified._

_"Gippal!" I shouted as I rushed over to his still body and bent down, reaching a hand out to the fine, golden skin of his face. Before I could touch it, his hand came out of no where and slapped his palm around my wrist, digging his fingers into my encased bones._

_"Holy crap," he groaned, squeezing his eyes and shaking his head, "Why'd you punch me?" He took his other hand and rubbed his right eye with his thumb, gasping. "My eye . . ."_

_"Gippal, I am so sorry!" I cried, allowing him to squeeze my forearm, even if it pained me. I couldn't believe it . . . he . . . he couldn't open his right eye! I was so horrified that my tear ducts seemed to shrivel; that crying wasn't even an option. I only gaped at his lone eye in horror as the city whirled around us like an illusion. His one, bright emerald eye found my own terrified one. I was shivering even though it was scorching hot outside. His mouth closed, then parted again, exhaling the most beautiful yet odd words (coming from him) that he has ever spoken to me:_

_"I love you."_

_oooooooooooooooooooo_

My dream shattered like a mirror, fading away into the depths of my mind again. I wasn't crying when I had awoken, but I so desperately wanted to. There was a bulbous lump in my throat again, which seemed to have not gone away all night. Gulping only made the lump more apparent, so I tried to ignore it and my forlorn dream. How could I have dreamt about that with such . . . realism? _Why_ did I dream about that? Gippal even said it himself after that day had gone by without fail; he was being delusional because of the impact I had left on his now blind eye. He said that I had jolted his brain when his head smacked against the pavement and left him speaking delirious words. Maybe he was right, but I still can't help thinking back on that day from time to time.

He's always lied about how his right eye became severely damaged. A story that he constantly pulls through with when people ask him about it is: "I defended Cid's Kid from a viscous fiend." I laughed out loud when I first heard him talk of this 'story' of his. But . . . after a while, it was condensed to "I defended a little girl from a ferocious fiend" to "I defended a girl from a wild fiend" to "I defended some kid from a fiend." Was I just 'some kid'? He used to always include me in on the story, but now I'm just 'some kid'? I oughtta give him a piece of my mind!

But then I realized where I was. I was back on Celsius in the cabin area, shuddering from the air-conditioned atmosphere. It was always so cold in there, but the beds sure was a lot comfier than my own back on Bikanel Desert. Buddy and Brother convinced me to live on the Celsius with them until the Gippal situation had cooled down, which probably wouldn't be for a while. I didn't mind, though: I missed the Celsius so dearly. It reminded me of the good ol' days when Paine, Yunie, and I would fly around Spira, excavating spheres! Everyday was filled with laughter and excitement!

Yet it . . . disappeared, just like a sad smile. Settling down sucks. Where's the fun in that? I'm only nineteen! Where's the turning point in your life when you need it most? Sighing became a frequent activity after those happy days had ended. I visited Yunie and Tidus twice before 'settling down' on Bikanel Desert, then I never heard from them again. I never told them where they could possibly contact me, and squeezing information out of Paine would've been pointless since she knew zip as well. The last time I talked to Yunie and Tidus was about a year ago, when Operation Recreation was first in effect. I never talked to Paine after that day she left the Celsius, because really, who would want to? She had her _lover_, now. They all did. Where's _my_ excitement? Where's _my_ future hubby? Where's _my_ meaning in life? Everything is just all so infuriating!

A month after _that day_ on Bikanel Island, Gippal and I started seeing each other. And when I say seeing each other, I mean _really_ seeing each other. Our first kiss was the day before he left to join the Crimson Squad. It was quick and chaste, neither special nor romantic. Those days . . . when I first met Tidus, I thought that I'd be attracted to him, but soon found that I wasn't. I missed Gippal and _his_ body, not some stranger that resembled him (hair and skin wise). But . . . soon after the Crimson Squad separated, we began to see each other less. I was forced to break up with him before the Calm came. I thought for sure that I wouldn't make it through our battles, our obstacles, and didn't want to have to break his heart with my death. Nobody helped me come to that decision because quite frankly, I never told anyone of my relationship with him. Not even Pops or Brother knew that we were dating, and I never knew why we kept such pretenses so secretive. Gippal just said that it would upset a lot of people . . . namely Brother. Brother hated Gippal with a passion, and to this day, I never knew why.

We met in the Macalania Woods, right before our collision with Seymour. He was there on account of Baralai, trying to seek out his old companion, and somehow his research led him to Bevelle. Nooj accompanied him on his journey. It was mere coincidence that brought us together once more, but since I was on my own escapade as well, our words were chopped with haste . .

_oooooooooooooooooooo_

"_That's Nooj, our uh, ring leader," Gippal pointed over to the longhaired brunette, scratching the back of his neck in the act._

"_I'll leave you two kids alone," Nooj suggested, turning to Gippal after nodding my way, "make it quick." With that said, he disappeared into the thicket, the woods leaving a sparkling glow in his absence._

"_Gippal, I have to hurry, too," I said with sorrow, eyeing the openings surrounding us._

"_Relax, not like the boogey man's gonna jump out at you," Gippal joked. I looked up at him earnestly, pouring my sad emotions into the pupils of my eyes. "Whoa, this is serious, what's up?" He asked, tone still sarcastic yet holding a hint of worry. He wrapped his arms around my small waist, pulling me closer to the warmth of his body. It felt wonderful, to be in his arms once more, but I had to push away from him. I couldn't make this anymore difficult for him or me than it had to be._

"_We . . . we have to break up," I stated, head turned away from the confusion sparkling in his eyes._

_He laughed after a heartbeat. "What do you mean? We're together now. After all of this has blown over we can be together again," he explained, sounding painfully rational and even more painfully clueless._

_I shook my head and closed my eyes, sighing with exasperation. "No, don't you get it? We . . . I'm not sure if I'll survive this journey. And even if we do, if everyone survives it, then what about Sin? He'll just come back again and destroy everything we've come to know and love! I don't want to hurt you like that! I never want you to feel loss! Just forget about me, Gippal," I glanced up at him to catch a quick survey of his expression, and it read completely befuddled. Oh great, now I've pissed him off._

"_Rikku, what the fuck are you talking about?" He started as he grabbed at the tip of my chin, forcing me to share his stare. Once our eyes locked, they never averted. "You don't have to go with them; you don't even have to do anything for them! And you are not gonna die, you hear me, Cid's Kid? Are you insane? I mean, sure, Sin might come back, but the Calm'll last at least a year or so! We'll have that peace together; doesn't that mean anything to you?" His voice was rising with each syllable that rolled off his tongue; I feared that the others would hear us._

_But no, Gippal can be so clueless sometimes! I didn't answer him; I couldn't. I just kept on staring him in the eye, my own pouring with sincerity. He shook his head after another moment of silence. "I can't believe this," he mumbled, stealing his hand back and walking off into the brush. I wanted to call out his name, but my voice felt so . . . small. I just kept my chin pointed upwards. I fought the tears ready to pour and gave myself another minute or so to cool. Gippal wasn't anywhere around the site. I thought for sure he'd still be staring back at me from the shadows, but his presence was an enigma. I felt lost, but I still smiled. Nobody could know of our meeting, and hopefully they would never discover my little secret. _

_oooooooooooooooooooo_

I plastered on a smile for the others, yet soon realized that I no longer had to plaster it on to keep it real. It was real, laughing with the others during those tragic times. Gippal was right; I didn't have to do anything for them . . . I needed to. These were my friends now, and I owed my life to them and my cousin Yunie. The loss of Gippal faded away with my adventures to come. Soon, after the Song of the Hym was sung and everyone realized that this Calm was sure to be permanent, I saw Gippal again. He smiled and called me 'Cid's Kid', just like old times. We never spoke of that day in the Macalania Woods . . . nor the day I nearly blinded his right eye . . . nor the fact that we were an item for a while, ever again! In fact, we hardly ever spoke to each other at all, but he still watched over me, like an overseer. It's like . . . we forgot about our past with each other. I haven't, and I hope he hasn't, either. It's just been sitting on a high shelf for too long, dusting with all of the other memories that we either forget or want to forget.

That dream was the beginning of a new chain of events, I could tell. I just can't believe that I've acted like such a fool in front of Gippal in the past, after the Calm arrived! When I was apart of the Gullwings, two years later, Gippal still made sure that he knew of where I was traveling . . . at first. I guess he began healing, alike I had. He'd moved on, and I'm glad.

Yet now I'm not. I want Gippal back; I want to be in his arms again. But . . . I doubt that'll happen anytime soon. This new turn of events has kept me at the edge of my seat, though. Memories, tucked away . . . I hope that I'll discover a few of yours in the coming days. What has happened to us, Gippal?

_I can be so melodramatic sometimes! I guess I'm still just a curious little chocobo, head cocked to learn more! Maybe I'll see Yunie again . . . hope Tidus and her will tie the knot soon! I'm getting pretty darn impatient, _I thought with comic relief, sighing as I leaned back against the head of the bed. I looked about the upper deck of the cabin room, averting my thoughts from my malicious memories. Not a thing had changed—every bed and flowerpot was in its place, but the room was dustier. Buddy and Brother had never slept in the 'girl's dormitory' since they had rooms of their own, and the Barkeep kept to his own bed, so it was no surprise that the shelves would must up with dust. Come to think of it . . . who did the dusting around here, anyway?

The upper deck was illuminated from the moon, bathing in its solar glow, while all other shadows were kept hush and mysterious. Fear always edged its way to my nerves after seeing these dark, eerie shadows, but now looking upon them again brought back cheery memories (even if they weren't so cheery at the time). Paine once pushed me into a dark corner after I expressed my loathsome feelings for the dark, and while I was afraid that a night fiend would gobble me up, I realized that I was being silly over the matter of shadow lurkers. Please, I can handle them any day! What's there to be afraid of? So I laughed and jumped out at Yunie, startling her instead. I always felt so safe, sleeping alongside Paine and Yunie, but now . . . I guess I just felt lonely. On Bikanel Island, I was always hummed to sleep by the whistling of the desert winds, yet now everything was all so silent. Only the faint rumble of the airship's motor could be heard, while all other noises were distinguished by the snore of the engine room, a faint hum of the mechanical workings in process.

_What time is it?_ I thought, mind awake and ready for the day ahead. I read the digital clock on the side table next to me. _It's only four in the morning? Ugh, maybe I should go back to sleep . . ._ I lay back down and snuggled into the comforters, trying to find a comfortable position on the mattress. Every spring seemed to poke into my ribs and spine and the blankets were too warm. The air around was thin and cold, but being sweaty and hot under cotton wasn't much of an improvement. I finally sat back up and sighed, tearing the covers off of my sweating legs. The cool air stung the few hairs on my legs instantly, like water rushing down your back. I shuddered but took the abuse, climbing out of bed and into the light of the moon. I only wore my orange bikini, which barely covered enough skin to be reasonable, but it was what I wore every night. A skirt and a scarf were just a touch up to be considered an outfit. I'd wear actual pants and a shirt . . . but try arguing that that'd be sane in the Bikanel Desert with an Al Bhed. Most Al Bhed will wear thin material when digging up the remnants of machina in the desert, but most wear goggles and clothing that barely covers up your parts nowadays. It's a little degrading (even embarrassing), but most Al Bhed will go to all lengths in order to be comfortable when at work.

_Come to think of it . . . I don't really work now, do I? Pops keeps me alive, which is pretty pathetic in my case, but its something while I'm waiting for my life to change. I hate waiting, especially for a 'change' that'll never spring up. Maybe I should take up sphere hunting again? Hey, I could find movie spheres of Lenne and Shuyin if I keep at it! People still pay big gil for that kind of treasure! Maybe, if I'm good enough, I could live in Guadosalam or Bevelle with the rest of my friends and wait for my turning point in life to happen there . . . but who am I kidding. Opportunities arise on rare occasions, and maybe mine has passed by already._

_Oh no! What if my turning point has already happened? That my adventures with Tidus, Auron, Wakka, Lulu, Kimahri, and Yuna were my big extravaganza and that sphere hunting was just a bonus? Look at me, I'm having a midlife crisis at the age of nineteen . . . I need to get some fresh air . . ._

The bridge still looked the same. Nothing much had changed about that except for a few spheres on Shinra's old computer. _He had never let me play on that by myself! Well, he's not here anymore, might as well take a whack at it, _I thought, sitting down at the complicating computer. The files and spheres were labeled correctly, but the keys and buttons just confused me to no end. I steered clear of all other navigation and clicked on the sphere index, reading the labeled spheres from top to bottom. Only three others were new; Buddy and Brother must've picked them up since last we were a team. Rikya's Sphere, Zanarkand's Finest, and Gippal's Sphere was what was read upon the label. _Rikya . . . haven't heard from him since I was sixteen. Bet he's still a hot, lame prick, even today! _But I didn't click on his sphere. Instead, Gippal's caught my attention. What was he doing on Shinra's computer, on a sphere of all places? The description read Crimson Record, so I guess that answered my question. But . . . I thought we had gathered all of the missing Crimson Record spheres? This certainly was odd. I opened the file and watched the short with anticipation; a breath caught in my throat that I dared not exhale.

_oooooooooooooooooooo_

Nooj, Gippal, and Baralai were all sitting on the deck of an unknown ship together, reflecting on the events that had passed. Paine sat just a foot away, recording each grim face with full-on detail. They leant against a wooden post together, knees brought up to their chests with forearms resting atop them. Gippal spoke first, tone filled with bitter humor. Even at night he remained a sarcastic misfit.

"So, Nooj, you got any girls waiting for you back home?" He asked, head resting on the cool, bare wood. Nooj looked thoughtful for a moment, scratching the stubble on his chin until he rolled his head back Gippal's way.

"Actually, no. Why do you ask?" Nooj spoke with certainty, finally speaking up for once.

"I was uh, just wondering," Gippal replied, "What about you, Baralai? Got a sweetheart?"

Baralai chuckled, resting his head against the post as well as he let the moonlight shower over his body. "You know, call me crazy, but I think Gippal wants to tell us something. Do you have a girlfriend waiting for you back at home, hero?"

Paine joined in on the snicker. "I bet he's a real heart-breaker."

"Ha, you wish," Gippal laughed, "I don't know . . . she's just some kid."

"Yeah, sure," Nooj commented, head turned toward the settling sea.

"Our little Gippal has a girlfriend," Paine added, "but if she's just some kid, what are you? A pedophile?" The three joined in on a heaving laugh, leaving Gippal out in the cold to chuckle lightly.

"Ha, fine, you wanna know the truth?" Gippal asked, nodding towards each member of his squad.

"That would be a nice change," Baralai scoffed, nudging his friend.

"Let us have it, Romeo," Paine stated, zooming in on his face.

"Well, I, well, can't wait to see her again. I can't wait to defeat Sin so we can be together. Ha, this is so off character, but . . . every time she smiles, something inside of me lights up. I guess I just think it would be nice, for the rest of you dogs, to have something to go back home to like that as well," Gippal scratched the back of his head, grimacing in fear of their reply. There was a long pause.

"I was right, he is a pedophile," Paine joked, making Baralai and Nooj erupt into laughter once more. Gippal just smirked arrogantly and shook his head.

"Hey, laugh all you want, but at least there's some light at the end of my road," he told the others, standing up to go sit at another end of the ship. Once he was gone, the others just looked at one another with wary curiosity.

"Hmm . . . maybe he really is serious about this girl," Nooj wondered aloud, standing up as well. "I'm going to go check the navigation, you two sit tight." He then nodded Paine's way and winked, glancing over to where Gippal had just traveled. Baralai gave her an odd look as she recorded Nooj walking away into another segment of the ship, water abusing the sides of the ship with an explosive splash. The scene blacked out for a few moments then went back to recording when Gippal's face lit up the sphere.

"Hey, turn that thing off, I'm . . . thinking," Gippal said, placing a hand over the recorder.

"I'm the recorder here," Paine replied, pulling the camera out of his grasp. "So what's up? What's on your mind, Engineer?"

"Well, it's . . . nothing," Gippal trailed off, staring out into the sea.

"Was it that girl you were talking about before? What's her name?" Paine asked lightly, trying to keep on her toes around the subject.

"Heh, Rikku, if you were wondering," he replied, glancing back at the recorder. Long pauses stretched between the two, letting the splashes of the water settle into the background. Gippal's spiked up hair seemed to deflate from the moisture in the atmosphere, a few stray strands falling before his emerald eye. He finally spoke up once more after licking two fingers and attempting to keep the blond strands erect again, turning back to Paine in the process. "You know, I once told her . . ." He trailed off, head rolling towards the deep blue sea.

"What is it?" She asked again after he refused to continue. Gippal just shook his head stubbornly, allowing the subject to fall flat.

"Nah, I don't want to distort any image you may have of me. I'm a heart-breaker, right?" He smirked, walking away from the scene. Paine grabbed at any attempt to keep him talking.

"You love her, don't you?" Gippal stopped dead in his tracks, perspiration reeking all along his body. After a moment of deafening silence, Paine chuckled softly, "Thought so. Never imagined I'd see the day that Gippal, the Warrior Al Bhed, would tremble before his very own heart."

Gippal's nerves eased with an apparent wave of coolness, spreading along his hot body like a bucket had just been poured over his head. The tension was still there, lingering about, but you could tell that he no longer feared his words. "Don't act as if you know me so well, Paine," he said coolly, waving away her statement from before. "This . . . doesn't concern you." He strutted away like a hipster, a new pounce in his step that hadn't been there before. Paine recorded his leave as Gippal disappeared up the stairs of the upper deck, dragging his feet along with him like a tired protagonist.

"Humph, very mature of him," Baralai spoke softly, audio coming from behind the camera.

"Well, how long have you been there?" Paine asked, directing the camera to the dark man's face. It showed amusement, yet slight caution prevailed through the creases around his eyes.

"I overheard the conversation. Gippal spoke of this girlfriend before, but never with such . . . passion. You can tell he's dying to see her," Baralai pointed out, placing his hands on the curves of his hips.

"He spoke of her before? When was this?" Paine asked, poking her nose where it didn't belong.

"Ha, aren't you a curious little chocobo. Well, when we first met and introduced ourselves; after the drill, he pulled out a picture of a young blond girl, probably fifteen or so. Funny, Gippal's sixteen, pretty young to be apart of a Crimson Squad, don't you think?" Baralai trailed off into an irrelevant subject.

"I guess so, but what of the girl?" Paine replied impatiently, zooming in and out on his calm face.

"Heh, well, he said out of the blue, 'I'm gonna marry-"

"What are you two doing?" Nooj came into view, interrupting their in-depth conversation.  
"It's time to hit the sack according to Gippal, turn that recorder off," Nooj informed, placing a hand over the recorder. The screen blanked out.

_End of sphere._

_oooooooooooooooooooo_

My lungs felt tight; I hadn't been breathing at a practical rate since Gippal first spoke on the sphere. My body radiated heat despite the air-conditioned room, and I could feel my cheeks fluster a deep scarlet. _Did he . . . did he say . . . marry?_ I thought, cold, shaky hands clutching over the breast of my heart (the only part of my body that was shivering). My jaw had dropped and I didn't even realize it until I tried to lick at my chapped lips. My tongue felt like cotton and the roof of my mouth tasted like Styrofoam. I shut my jaw quickly, trying to generate saliva again. I touched the screen of the monitor, tracing a lone finger along the label _Gippal's Sphere_. But wait . . . who would label it that? It must've been Buddy or Brother . . . hell, maybe even Shinra, but I doubt it. Shinra left the Celsius before I had, and Brother loathes Gippal with a passion. Could it have been Buddy? Maybe he wanted to show me it? Then again, why would Buddy care about such a trivial sphere?

_Oh, I need answers!_ I shouted in my head, bouncing in my chair out of infuriation. _Who found these spheres? It had to be somebody on this airship . . . maybe the Barkeep? Wait, that's a lousy explanation. I wish somebody would answer me!_

Usually, when you wish inside of your head for somebody to pop up and answer all of your questions, somebody does. But that's just in books and fairy tales—this was the real world, more or less, or as real as it's gonna get. From then on I had to answer my own questions, and the only way to do that was to interrogate those from my past. Did Baralai really mean to say that Gippal intended to . . . marry me? I was fifteen; he was sixteen! Was he nuts? But there was no way in Yevon that I was going to bring my curiosity to him; it had to be those closest to him around that time. Yep, it was time to visit an old friend; one I haven't talked to in what seems like ages. Maybe along the way on my journey, I can even find the time to visit Yunie. I haven't exactly been avoiding her, just trying to clear my mind of its musty clouds. Why she was living in Guadosalam with Tidus, I had yet to learn of its explanation.

I wondered if Paine was happy living in Bevelle with Baralai. Quite frankly, I always thought that Nooj and her had something going on, but that proved false. Hmm, I also wondered if Nooj was still seeing Leblanc, but that didn't matter, at least in my personal life. Thinking of seeing Yunie and Tidus again brought butterflies fluttering in my stomach. Ooh, I couldn't wait! But if I was going to go on another escapade again, my old dress-spheres could come in handy. I left them aboard the Celsius after deciding that it was time to 'settle down', and hopefully Buddy and Brother hadn't pawned it off to anyone.

I stood up, the cold floor stinging my bare feet. Yep, wearing a bikini to bed was definitely not the way to go about. I padded towards the stairs until I heard voices coming from the hall right before me. I froze at the first step, hand glued to the freezing railing, afraid that whoever was there might see me. But instead of entering onto the bridge, the giggling voices faded away towards the elevator, disappearing onto another level. My nerves eased but my paranoia didn't. Who exactly was that? It sounded like three; young female voices . . . could it have been airship maids? Well finally they've decided to hire some maintenance! I shrugged off my confusion and headed up the stairs to the landing, taking the elevator down to the cabin room.

The downstairs was silent and dark, only the glasses from the bar were reflecting light from the moon, casting beams across the wooden paneling of the floor. I padded towards the stairs, finally growing cold, I realized, as my hands found their way to my arms, rubbing the goosebumps along my skin. Chattering my teeth, I picked up on giggling coming from just a few feet away upstairs into the bed area. Furrowing my brows, I poked my head up in front the top floor, crouching down onto the stairs like a devious snake.

"I can't believe that took us two days! Ugh, I can't stand Mt. Gagazet. Those Ronso are like, so hideous. I was awoken every morning by the ugly sound of that horn!" An unknown voice complained; tone stuck up with a pristine accent.

"Hey, we had to wake up to that horn, too. And we didn't even find a sphere! So much for sleeping in a tent on the cold, mountain floor!" Another strange voice contemplated, rustling the sheets of her bed.

"Will you two shut-up? We're lucky to have even found those three spheres alone. Go to bed, we have a long day ahead," a more sophisticated voice quipped, pulling the blankets nearest me over her head.

"Oh, I know! Ah, aren't the guys in those spheres so hot? Do we have to sell them?" The snobby voice sighed, lying down between the other two beds and kicking her slender legs up in the air, admiring the glow it made as the moon lit them up.

"Duh, how else do you expect us to make a living?" The lesser-snobby female pointed out.

"Still, I mean that Nooj! Oh, not him, I mean Gippal! Ooh, talk about a stud! Who do you think that bitch Rikku was, though? Taking a hottie like that all for herself!" The snob whined, dropping her legs onto the sheets of the bed.

"Linera, we've talked this over about a million times: that sphere was recorded four years ago, understand? That Gippal guy and the girlfriend he spoke of probably aren't even together as of today. Perhaps they are, but he may be single. Plus, you should respect these stranger's relationship if otherwise," the intelligent one yawned, throwing the covers off of her head to inform Linera of the probabilities.

"Hey, isn't that guy an Al Bhed? Then he should be working in that Zanarkand place, right?" The normal seeming one wondered aloud.

"Ooh, maybe we could go there! There's bound to be spheres there, right?" Linera asked, sitting erect out of pure anticipation.

"Ha, in case you haven't noticed, Lin, but most of the spheres around Spira have been wiped out ever since the sphere-hunter rush two years ago," the normal woman pointed out, jousting around in her bed until she met a comfortable position.

"Ugh, I know, I know. Those three brats take all the glory. I am so glad they left the Gullwings, giving us room to take control," the snob babbled, irritating the hell out of me. Yep, I was crouched down on the stairs for far too long. I was about to crawl and creak my way back down . . . until this Linera chick spoke up once more, pouring gunk out of her mouth with words. "I mean, hell, they were such little dorks! I never did like that Yuna—what a slut to go out of her way to find some dead guy, ha!"

Anger burst bubbles into my blood, scarlet darkening my face alike the blood of a fiend's. I threw myself up from the stairs and pointed at the harlot with burning accusation, glaring deep into the sockets of her eyes with passionate hostility. "You take those words back, you awful whore of Yevon!" I shouted, using ugly words instead of the intended, typical 'meanie'. Uh-oh, I'd blown my cover. Every girl gasped with surprise, staring at my half-naked state in utter bewilderment.

"Humph. Well, if it isn't the little brat now," Linera scoffed after recovering from the shock (seemingly have recognized me), crossing her arms across her chest. She was wearing my Thief dress-sphere, an outfit I thought I'd never be able to witness on any other's body. That pissed me off, and it was going to take all the strength I had left in me not to maul her like a wild lupus. Every drop of anger in me seemed to dribble down my chin and sizzle to the floor.

_It's go time, girls, _I thought, thinning my eyes to slits as I scowled, preparing to attack the 'Big Bad' one last time, just as I had done when I was apart of the _real_ Gullwings.

_oooooooooooooooooooo_

_A/N: . . . That was a little longer than expected. I just kept typing like a gaylord (I love that word XD) and didn't stop until I came across the perfect cliffhanger. The PERFECT cliffhanger would've included Gippal, but this was as best as I could do, sorry! Too much information in one chapter, if you ask me, and also way too many paragraphs with italics. Hope your mind isn't throbbing by the end of this ;;. I really didn't mean for everything to blow up in one chapter: the explanation for Gippal's eye, flashback in the Macalania Woods, the sphere of Gippal, and the replacements for the old Gullwings. All in all, this was a good chapter, if I do say so myself. I'm getting all of the relevant information out of the way to make room for more action wink wink and of course, the lovely Gippal and what lurks beneath his shell. In other news . . . hmm . . . school's gonna blow for those who aren't being home-schooled, since I will be (come September 1st off of an online program!). I loathe those 'back to school' commercials; they're horrible. Kids do NOT want to be reminded of prison! It's like advertising old-folk-homes to aging people: "Here's what you have to look forward to! Pills in the afternoon and Bingo 'til bedtime! In other words . . . it's a new age HELL, everybody! Bring your kids!"_

_P.S. I should clarify the flashback between Rikku and Gippal in the Macalania Woods. This was after Nooj shot Paine, Gippal, and Baralai (depending on where the others were in FFX), and after the others had recovered from their injuries. Nooj had apologized that his actions were not of his own, blah blah blah, I'll talk about it later in future chapters. At times, you may discover that some of my information is false, but who's perfect? Don't worry, though, I'll try my damndest to try and stick to the essential facts of FFX-2. Also, the title of this chapter refers to Wakka; I hope you all remember! Sorry for such a long author's note! You're a combatant if you've read this entire story, down to my excruciating notes!_


	4. Raven from my Past

_oooooooooooooooooooo_

**Chapter IV: Raven from my Past**

_oooooooooooooooooooo_

"Oh my," the woman closest to me gasped, brushing her lips lightly with her fingertips. "What are you doing here, child?" Her voice was soft with worry, and I could tell why. I didn't exactly look like the most sophisticated lady on the ship at that moment. Linera laughed; I could already tell she was going to be a sadistic little sneak. All three of them appeared young but just a tad older than I. Linera looked younger, though, so I was betting her attitude would be the most immature and futile.

"What are _you _doing here?" I shouted, my distaste for their company glinting through my voice.

"We're the Gullwings, who are you?" The brunette asked, not sounding angered yet confused. This particular woman stood tall in height despite the fact that she was sitting down. Her chestnut hair fell to her chin line, probably rounded off in the back to a shorter height, shaven underneath. Two, bright orange locks of curly hair contrasted with her thin, fluffy hair, the locks falling around either side of her face. Her eyes shone a golden yellow; alike a cat's bulbous ones. Although the rest of her face was attractive and prim, her nose was turned upright which damaged the effect.

The intelligent woman had shiny, raven black hair flowing over her shoulders, probably down to her waist if she stood tall. There were waves in it, so you could tell that she braided them before starting each day off anew. Her eyes sparkled a sea-blue of confusion with specks of green rounding off her pupils. Short bangs fell just above her eyes with her eyebrows appearing thin and her skin a golden tan. The rest of her body; although half was covered under the blankets, seemed slender and well formed, healthy. She wore a nightgown alike her peers (except for Linera who still wore my Thief dress-sphere); surprising how fast they had changed since I made haste with heading to the cabin room.

Finally, my eyes scanned the snobby Linera. You could tell right off the bat she thought highly of herself considering that she was the all around 'beautiful' eye candy. Bouncy blond curls spilled down her neckline as she nodded them to her side, eyeing me like a dehydrated scavenger. She batted chocolate brown eyes at me, long eyelashes protruding from her lids like curly needles. Her lips were full and her body seemed curvy, but something was definitely off. There was a particular imperfection that cast the rest of her attractive appearance aside, something that would itch for you to gawk at but would be terribly impolite to sustain to those urges.

A long, tan scar trailed down from the temple of her forehead to the dimple of her chin; bubbling in like a reverse wart in a few areas of the scar, so earning that must've been painful. It stood out against her pale perfection, so it was no surprise that she wasn't offended that it'd have caught my eye. The scar must've been there for quite some time in order for her to adapt to people's rude or impolite gestures and stares, just as I was doing by continuing to eye it like a bug that you didn't want to crawl any closer to you.

"She asked _who are you_, pipsqueak," Linera reminded me, jutting her jaw out like a fiend.

"I-I-m . . . no, it doesn't matter who I am, who are you and what are you doing on my ship?" I demanded, exaggerating the last part and tearing my eyes away from her apparent flaw. Well, Brother's _my_ brother, so I have joint custody as of now!

"No it isn't, we've been living her for the past year now!" The brunette claimed, staring at me incredulously. The . . . the past year? Buddy and Brother were gonna have some serious explaining to do! I knew that they were going to find new candidates to be apart of the squad, but not these people! What could they possibly possess that would make Buddy and Brother declare them the new Gullwings?

I opened my mouth, caught nasty words in my throat and closed it. I opened it again and closed it just as before, furrowing my brows like a flabbergasted child. After another moment of my speechless confusion, the superior one jumped in. "Are you the girl Brother spoke of?" She asked gently, as if to lure me towards the bait.

"Hey, you're right!" The brunette turned towards her teammate, eyes lighting up with intrigue. "What was her name again? Riggu . . . Rippo . . . Richu-"

"Rikku," the Linera girl stated flatly but with certainty, sending me a hostile glare.

"That's it!" The brunette exclaimed, happy to have discovered my name.

"You were apart of the original Gullwings," the intelligent woman pondered aloud, slowly slipping off her blankets. She stood and stepped forward, extending her hand for me to shake while she introduced herself. "I'm Marigold," she greeted warmly. After a moment of eyeing it, I finally shook her hand with wary, hesitation stiffening my grip. Although her handshake was firm and welcoming, she must've felt my caution grow with each shake she gave, for she stepped back after our awkward greeting and let me have my space.

"Erm, sorry for, the uh, outburst I made before," I apologized with an uncomfortable chuckle, avoiding eye contact with the one I had name-called earlier. "I'm Rikku; Buddy and Brother thought they should let me stay here for a while after—after an, uh, Al Bhed quarrel," I informed them, scratching the back of my bright orange head nervously. My ponytail was down and only the braids were kept in tact, so I surely must've looked like a mess compared to their angel state of pre-slumber. Only Linera seemed to notice that I looked like I had just been electrocuted by a lightening flan since I caught a glimpse of her nose scrunching up in distaste. _Meanie_, I thought, pitying myself for not having planned a better nightgown.

"It's quite alright. Besides, you've lived here before, so we must have came as a surprise," Marigold smiled, clasping her tan hands behind her back. "Allow me to introduce my two part-"

"I'm Aphelia!" The brunette beamed, standing up quickly to give me her hand. I stepped towards her bed to close the distance and accepted her warm welcoming, smiling myself to reassure them that I no longer felt threatened. Well, not _too_ threatened anymore, that is. "That's Linera," Aphelia jabbed a thumb towards her other friend who scowled when I glanced her way. Maybe the whore of Yevon was too strong of words . . . well; she deserved it for what she called me! She was definitely unworthy of an apology! So I stuck my nose up her way and turned back towards her other two companions.

Aphelia seemed to notice how I had just snubbed her friend, for she rolled her eyes towards Linera and apologized to me, "Sorry, she can be a real bitch sometimes."

"Shut-up, Aphelia!" Linera hissed, ruffling her platinum blond hair over the line of her scar.

"Don't mind them, they're just tired from the long trip we had just made," Marigold excused her friends, leading me towards the bed to her side. Four beds . . . had there always been four? Have I been away for that long? I didn't exactly trust these three new 'Gullwings' yet, but could tell that my worries would go to waste because if Buddy and Brother had gathered them together . . . well, not Brother, but if they chose these particular girls to form a new troop that I should trust their opinion.

But wait . . . something was still off, something that had ricocheted my logic for reason out the window. I looked back to Linera after staring at my neatly made bed (Marigold was ready to sleep in the one that I had just slept in) and remembered why I had mentally proclaimed her my enemy. "You!" I shouted, stepping around the two beds separating us. My steps were heavy and my expression, I could tell, was haughty with relinquished anger. I was prepared to lash out at her but refrained myself because looking at that scar made me quiver. Deep down, I guess I pitied her, but not enough to lash out at her with my words.

"Why are you wearing my dress-sphere?" I demanded, swatting at her scarf passively. I could tell it was my dress-sphere because our outfits were identical—if it were hers, it would've held different aspects. Although I still wore the same exact outfit identical to my old Thief one, I wasn't wearing any sort of dress-sphere because I dropped my weapons long ago. The only thing different about our attires was the fact that she had dropped my knives beside her bed, baring proof that it was mine. People assume that the wardrobe changes with each dress-sphere; which is true, but you can choose to continue wearing that particular outfit if you desire no use of its weapon or abilities. It was a clever invention created by Shinra before he left to find use of his talents in other areas.

"No I'm not! This is mine!" Linera retorted, throwing her blankets aside to stand tall before me. Yep, I was definitely the short girl among the group again. Her height—being a few inches taller—didn't intimidate me. Paine and Gippal always used to try and stare me down, so I'm pretty accustomed to the bullying act.

I stood tall despite the few inches difference (she would've been even taller if she were wearing my white and blue shoes) and jabbed my pointer finger in her face, "You thief!"

"Well, duh," she scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"Give me back my dress-sphere or you'll sorely regret it!" I growled, standing on my toes to scowl closer to her face.

"Please, both of you, settle down," Marigold tried reasoning, rushing over to our sides to try and stand between us. Aphelia stopped her before she could even reach Linera's unmade bed, holding her back.

"Hey, this is getting good! Let them tough this out like women!" She smiled, baring a row of crooked, white teeth. Her obvious desire to see us bring fists into this conversation made me want to confront her as well, but I had other business to attend to. No one messes with Rikku's dress-spheres and gets away with it!

"You can't scare me, you little twerp!" Linera sneered, a frown forming with her brows. I just continued staring deep into the pupils of her eyes, daring her with my own to scoff again. I'd like to see her try and still think that her body wasn't going to be damaged by the end of her sentence!

"Um, Lin?" Aphelia said, quirking her eyebrow while still holding her tan friend back from confrontation. "You do know that this 'twerp' helped defeat Sin and Vegnagun from the destruction of Spira, right?" Wise words; I hoped they didn't fly right past Linera like a stray bullet.

"That still doesn't change the fact that she's a two time loser. I've never even heard of this chick 'til that treasure sphere!" She laughed, backing away from my stiffened body. My fists clenched tight, digging my nails into the palms of my hands. I barely restrained myself from biting them into my flesh. She crossed her arms against her well-endowed chest, scoffing, "Please, that Tidus guy was the one who defeated Sin, and Vegnagun? They had help from _five_ other people! This little girl was just a cliff-note in Yuna's epic ass!"

It's usually Gippal whose eye I'm punching, so it was no surprise that my fist found its way to this girl's right socket. It connected like a spring, rocking her body against the side-table resting next to the bed. She tripped over it, bruising the soft muscle of her leg and toppled to the ground next to Aphelia's bed, landing with a loud and painful _thump_. Her head banged against the wall as she threw her back to it, wincing in pain as she tried to stand up. I must've bruised her butt-bone too, since her feeble attempts to stand were diminished from the pain in her rear, sending shocks throughout her body like miniature lightening bolts. I would've apologized along the lines of, "I didn't _mean_ for you to trip over the side table and temporarily cripple your tailbone," but that unsympathetic excuse wouldn't win me any points.

Aphelia and Marigold gawked at their floored friend as I slapped a hand over my opened mouth, jaw low and surprised. After a few more moments of Linera's groaning, I mustered up my words, "I, uh, guess I don't know my own strength, heh-heh." Scratching the back of my scraggly head, I offered my other hand to my opponent in an attempt to make amends, but that gesture faltered when she slapped it away, hissing in pain.

"You'll regret this," she threatened through gritted teeth, voice strained from the pain.

"Let me help you up," Marigold offered, climbing over the bed to her suffering friend.

"Hey, it's not like she didn't deserve it," Aphelia laughed, shaking her head Linera's way. "I told you to keep your mouth shut, but did you listen? No, you just had to let your bitchiness get in the way of an intact butt!"

"Shut-up!" Linera shouted, gasping as she clasped Marigold's hand with her own and struggled to stand up. I backed away in fear of her possible attack. This girl seemed like the type that would maul you injured if she were offended.

"I'm s-so sorry!" I stuttered, regretting my short-fused anger.

"'Tis quite alright," Marigold replied dully, "Linera's been asking for a good beating for quite some time now."

"Yeah, and I'm glad she got it!" Aphelia added, smiling wide, her cheekbones reaching her eyes to form small, gold crescent moons. I was relieved to learn that I wasn't on those two's bad side—they seemed like very straight edge people—but grimaced at the sight of Linera. I was definitely not going to be able to make amends with this one anytime soon, so I apologized once more and backed away to my new bed.

It was five o' clock by the time we all settled down into the comfort of our beds. Well, that was an awkward hour. I barely knew those people, yet I felt . . . safe again, like I had with Paine and Yunie. Linera was a definite turn of events, and she might make my days a little rougher and edgier, but this little prick wouldn't get in the way of my conquests. First things first: I had to travel to Bevelle and see Paine and Baralai. They knew a lot more than I about Gippal's past plans (and possible future ones) so the only way to feather away this dust was to have a little chat with them.

These new Gullwings could wait (and hopefully they wouldn't stand in my way). Besides, they've only produced three treasure spheres from the past year and a half or so! I doubt their productivity level was as up to date as mine was, so their schedule wouldn't be too bothersome. The original Gullwings would uncover a sphere every other day, but then again, Aphelia's earlier words ring true: there just aren't any spheres left in Spira to be discovered. Why they were still sphere-hunters I had yet to learn of, but maybe I could weave my way through their past and uncover the secrets that lie sublevel. Who are these people, anyway, and why are they still in this line of business?

I drifted away into slumber with those undying words. What a peculiar group of people! Who knows, their lives could be far more interesting than mine has been . . . though I doubted it. But, contrary to my previous thoughts before fading into dreamland, I didn't dream of these people. I dreamt of another, its nightmare glued to the back of my skull like day old gum that had settled into concrete after bathing in the summer sun.

_oooooooooooooooooooo_

_I stumbled up the stairs of a long and narrow staircase, huffing and sweating from running such a long distance. Fear ached at my heart as I barely escaped the clutches of a monster, a monster whose description had been blurry. At the top of the stairwell, there was an old, rotted door with a silver doorknob, the emblem of Bevelle engraved into it. I yanked it open and dragged my feet in, slamming the door from behind. It was an attic . . . but the room was decorated to fit a wedding reception, white frills strewn about everywhere. I was suddenly in a layered wedding dress from my Thief attire, prepared to wed an unknown man._

_The entire Al Bhed civilization was there, hands clasped before them in that small, dank attic. Eerie wedding music played on an organ as a tall, built man yanked urgently on my wrist. I was forced to go along with the reception, so I gracefully trailed behind him as he continued to tug me forward. Shadows lurked about his figure and all I could tell from this character was his spiked up hair. Shinzu wedded us, but before I could kiss this strange man, I remembered to check my make-up. I fled from the scene and opened a new door that led to me through a gap in the crowd. A cracked mirror bore the distorted image of my face. My jaw had dropped, and teeth began pouring out of my mouth like a fountain. I kept spitting and pulling them out of the gums of my mouth, but they just kept multiplying and dropping in numbers out of my jaw. _

_The groom pounded on the rotten wood of the door as I tried to stop my teeth from falling out anymore or regrouping, but every attempt was in vain. He splintered the wood open and came barreling into the bathroom . . ._

_oooooooooooooooooooo_

. . . and that's when I awakened. Light poured into the room and hit every floorboard, bouncing off of the walls and against the illumination of my skin. I gasped, heart pounding from the frightening dream I had just dreamt. _What had all of that meant? What a peculiar nightmare!_ I thought in puzzlement as I wiped away the sweat forming in small puddles along the line of my scalp. I threw the covers to one side and let the cool air of the Celsius sweeten my legs which were pounding from the heat. I licked my chapped lips and glanced about the room in wonderment, trying to tear my mind away from that odd dream. _Maybe a shower would fit best_, I thought with mild anxiousness, noting that the others were no longer present in their beds. I checked the digital clock on the side table, only to find that it was way past the time I had expected to wake up.

I threw my legs to the side of my bed and climbed off of it, scrambling to the bathroom to freshen up a bit. The cold wood of the floor stung the soft pads of my feet as I made my way down the stairs and to the door under the upper-deck leading to the girl's bathroom. _Twelve o' clock? Why didn't anyone wake me up?_ I mentally demanded as I flung the door open and stumbled inside. I ignored the Barkeep's greetings as I hastily checked the mirror to see if any damage was made from my nightmare. It was silly of me to assume so, since it was just a dream and my teeth were perfectly intact (even quite straight), but it was still so . . . odd. Why had I dreamt of a fiend chasing me, attending my own wedding in an attic, and even more so my teeth falling out? That was too strange to be just a dream . . . maybe my subconscious mind was trying to warn me?

_Well, everyone has their weird dreams_, I thought after inspecting each tooth in the clear mirror and brushing them thoroughly, just in case any might've fallen out if brushed or cleaned. I stripped down to just my braids and wiped the sweat away from under my breasts, stepping into the tub and closing the shower curtain from behind me. The bathroom was oddly small, so the décor had much to be desired. Even when the original Gullwings had lived here, we never thought to brighten up the bathroom. It too was still the same: cold, gray stone tiling, white polished toilet, and the clean-cut white tub with a clear blue, fish shower curtain. The walls were painted an eggshell blue, a color that hadn't been there while I was still residing on the Celsius. At least they did something positive with this room; I never liked showering in here, anyway.

I turned the knobs and cold water instantly came pouring over my back from the showerhead, sending my body into a panic. Well, this still hasn't been fixed. Ever since I could remember, this shower has always spouted cold water before anything else, leaving me shivering dumfounded since I can never remember to move my body before letting the water pour. Warm water kicked in after a moment or so; I closed my eyes and let the water trickle through every crèmes of my unwashed body. I felt the water rush down my forehead to my toes, licking away every smear of sweat and dirt from the night before. It felt so nice to finally be able to bathe without any concern of someone walking in on you, like you always had to be cautious of on Bikanel Island. Every care left my mind, leaving a blank slate. The room's temperature shifted a bit, but I was too preoccupied with my shower to truly care.

After a moment or so more of letting the warm water sooth my eyelids, I dipped my scalp under instead and rubbed my eyes from the water, allowing my vision to be distorted with discolored dots. I looked to my side and jumped, eyes frightened and widening. A figure was standing right in front of the shower and the curtain was too blurry to make out who it was. A lump caught in my throat, but I managed to swallow past it and choke out a threat.

"Get out of here, you pervert!" I shouted, covering my breasts with my arms, leaning against the eggshell blue wall. The figure stood his or her ground and chuckled softly, seeming to have crossed its arms across who's ever it was chest. The chuckle sounded deep yet soothing, so my suspicions that it was male rose high. I furrowed my brows in anger and shouted again, "I mean it! Just you wait for me to get out!"

He leaned against the marble sink and scoffed, "Get out then." That voice was faintly familiar . . . like a song from my past, but nothing recent, so my fear of it being a stranger edged its way into my nerves.

"You pervert!" I shouted, feeling horribly vulnerable. "_Get out, get out, get out!_"

"Rik, what're you doing?" A voice that was actually familiar asked, walking up to the bathroom door.

"Get him out!" I hollered, pressing myself against the wall as I managed to cover up my breasts and private areas in the act, although I doubted he could make out any details from behind the curtain.

"You pedophile!" The voice accused, grabbing the man's collar and yanking him out of the bathroom, probably choking him from his words. My savior slammed the door shut and shouted at his supposed friend, "Man, are you that desperate to sneak up on little girls when they're in the shower?"

Once the other man's voice returned, he chuckled that deep, velvety chuckle and laughed, "I guess so; I'm not getting action anywhere else."

"Yeah, I can see why," that ethnic voice pointed out. The other man snickered and walked away, his laugh fading off into the distance while I still stood there, afraid to uncover any part of my body. A few moments passed by, steam filling the room and fogging up the mirror, before that familiar voice sounded again. He knocked on my door lightly and asked in a worried tone, "Are you okay in there?"

I hesitated for a moment until his absence of barging in reassured me that he wouldn't be as rude as the previous man had been. I spoke up, finally allowing my hands to find their way to my slick waists, "Yeah."

"He didn't do anything to you, did he?" He asked again, tone still carrying a hint of worry.

"No, but I'll still be kicking his butt when I get out of here!" I promised, bathing under the showerhead once more.

"Ha, can't wait. Sorry for that, Rikku," he apologized, then walked away like his friend had, footsteps echoing away as he walked towards the elevator. That was . . . weird. That voice sounded a lot like Buddy's. Maybe it was . . . oh, of course! Shinzu! How couldn't I have guessed it in the first place? But that other man's voice . . . I've heard it from somewhere, but where, exactly? Patience was not one of my stronger points, so I didn't bother shampooing or conditioning my hair. I turned off the shower, ringing my hair from the warm water afterwards and grabbed a fuzzy pink towel from the rack near the tub. Whoever that bastard was, was going to learn a little lesson from Mr. Fist and Mrs. Mouth. Nobody walks in on Rikku showering and gets away with it! Scarring my pride is not something I handle delicately, I've recently realized, and whoever dared scathe it better prepare for the consequences!

_oooooooooooooooooooo_

I wore my orange bikini and washed-out denim skirt over my matching g-string, the outfit I wore day after day since the Gullwings departed their separate ways. My knitted scarf hung low over one breast, the ends dangling low and tickling my ankles as I walked. My blue bandana was tied securely in place, each colored beads strung through my braids, giving my outfit some color. The final touch was my white and blue Thief shoes, opening wide around my ankles, which always seemed to bother me. Sure, the shoe never fell off or wavered from its place whenever I would take a step, but there was still a lingering hint of paranoia about it. I don't know why I've never changed my outfit for a good three years or so, but I guess it just stuck.

The only drastic measures I've ever taken with my attire were my hair. Where as it used to be a natural blond with hints or orange highlights in it, I took the next step and dyed my entire head of hair a bright, vibrant orange, noticeable from at least a mile away. Change was on my mind, but I wasn't ready to switch my whole wardrobe like Gippal had just yet. Although his personality was still glued to sarcastic charisma, his daily outfit changed from 'Al Bhed Digger' to 'Al Bhed Bad Boy' in just the change of an outfit.

It was no surprise that after his little 'change' he became the heart of every Al Bhed woman's desire. Even Nhadala seemed to swoon over him when she suspected that no one was looking her way. You could tell that Gippal was basking in the spotlight, that being twenty never tasted any sweeter. Everybody still looked up to him as a leader, but the woman saw him in a different _potential_ light, where as the men envied his charming looks. He's always been egotistic and handsome, but as of recently, it's just begun to sicken me.

"Hey, look who's here," Buddy told the others, glancing up at me as I stood on the landing with my hands placed firmly on my hips. I gave a dignified look, not at all happy, at the head of the man suspected to have sneaked up on me at the most vulnerable place a girl can be in. He poked his head up at Buddy's words, turning away from Shinzu slowly to engorge me with his eyes. He caught his cold, baby blue eyes with my own surprised ones, reading my thoughts through my pupils like a book. I found myself frozen beneath his gaze, completely flabbergasted as he trailed his gaze down my slender body to the curve of my hip. Baby blue eyes from my past . . . whose were these? His skin shone a neutral pale with just a sprinkle of stubble on his chin; cheekbones indented to appear sophisticated even though I knew for a fact that he wasn't. That shiny raven hair, flowing down in tight individual braids to his waist was his signature. No other color was on the menu for this guy; it could only be . . .

"Rikya, leave the girl alone, she's been through a lot lately, man," Shinzu requested, placing a chocolate brown hand on one of Rikya's broad shoulders. Not taking his suggestion, Rikya stepped closer to the landing, letting his friend's gloved hand fall to his side. Nope, Rikya hadn't changed one bit.

He wore a long, velvet black cloak that ended right above his heels, which he must've been sweating bullets in off of the air-conditioned Celsius. A silver fang pendant clasped the cloak together at the indent of his pale neck, his black silk shirt cut low beneath it, so low as to bare one pale pink nipple whenever he would walk. His naked nipple was pierced with a small, silver ring, something that would have made me queasy to do. _He pierced his nipple? Was he nuts?_ His black shirt had puffed sleeves; tiny designs etched into the silk all along his arms until the cuff cut off the wavy material, closing over leather gloves which ended at the middle of each finger. At the waist, his shirt was tucked into shiny leather pants, probably skin-tight shorts for all I knew because his industrial boots ended at the center of each muscular thigh. The hem of his pants closed right around the line above his privates, fine black lace tying up his crotch area. His long, thigh-high boots were made of a thin vinyl material, which made walking just a touch easier, his knees covered by breathable stretchy leather. Each boot was held together by black lacing, from the front of his ankles to the tight muscles of his thighs.

It was a sight to drool over, but I still had my pride. A little scratched and shaken, but still there all the same. I stood there, glaring a hole into his sockets, but he didn't seem to notice. He was too preoccupied with the curve of my thighs, right at the hem of my miniskirt where they disappeared beneath. I felt more naked than his bare nipple, the silk of his shirt tickling it lightly. _What am I thinking?_ I thought, shaking my head_. My mind should not be on about my childhood enemy's nipple!_ Before he could begin to undress my bikini bra with his eyes, I shook my head out of its trance and stepped down the left path of the stairs, away from where he was residing and towards Buddy. No way would he dare give me that drawl of seduction when I was standing right next to his friend's brother . . . right?

"You're still the same, Rikya. An air-head with a passion for the color black, how presumptuous," I thought, trying my best to sound sophisticated.

He smirked, obviously not buying the act. Guess he smartened up. "Rikku, has it been five years already? What possessed you to waltz like a harlot?" He asked, his tongue rubbing over each syllable like velvet. Damn, what's he done with himself these past five years?

I pinched a little smirk of my own, plastering over my distaste with another insult. "Ditched the cronies, I see. Did you realize that they were killing your brain cells or did they just refuse to give head after the hundredth time?" I quipped, beaming an innocent smile his way.

"Damn, she just burned you," Buddy snickered, clasping a hand over his mouth to keep from laughing out loud. So polite was he, while I was playing the most childish game a near adult can play: who can out-insult the other first.

Ignoring Buddy's comment, Rikya leered and continued, "Hmm, I wonder where your man Gippal is . . . I don't know, could he possibly be raping Yuna at this very moment? Perhaps making her squeal for a _personal_ _Calm_?" Although he didn't smile wide, he bore straight, shining white teeth, an arrogant sparkle glimmering in his eye. He had crossed the line. I could _not_ believe that he had just brought Yunie into our battle of quips! _That bastard!_

"You disgusting, loathsome _pig!_" I hollered, jumping at him and clawing at his perfect pale face, toppling him to the ground from element of surprise. I straddled his broad stomach; thighs stretched around his sides as my denim skirt hiked up my waist, baring my full, round rear. I clutched one hand around his thick neck and was about to pound the lights out of him with my other fisted hand . . . before I came to my senses. My chest was heaving from the adrenaline, my breasts and butt completely apparent by that time and I could feel Rikya's eyes smooth along the curves of my breasts peeking up from under the bra. I tried to hold a grip of myself and managed to slow down my heart rate, still grasping Rikya's neck with one hand and the other uplifted in the air. I must've looked pretty scary, half-exposed yet still snarling teeth down at Rikya like a fiend.

". . . Whoa," Shinzu said, backing away from the scene. "You guys wanna handle this in the bedroom? We've got important shit to cover, here," he informed us, my eyes still glued to my opponent's.

"I'd like to, but it seems our feisty friend here is very eager to finish off what Gippal has started," Rikya dared comment. Guess he wasn't as smart as we all thought.

"Save it until she gets off of you, man," Buddy groaned, slapping a hand to his forehead. I would've _loved_ to punch the crap out of Rikya . . . but thought better of it. He was a pathetic loser and avenging Yunie's sake from his repetitive comment wouldn't have solved anything. I stood up, pulling my skirt down back in place but being full aware that he got a good look of the goodies. Today was just not looking up . . . well, I guess for Rikya, it was, but for me? I wanted nothing more but to shun myself in the engine room, wishing to have gone back in time before all of this mess began. But for now: Rikya.

"You disgust me," I spat, kicking him with all my might in the ribs. I stepped away from him then, allowing him to stand without my discretion and get a good look at the perverse hatred in my eyes. He stood slowly, draping his long, velvet cloak over one arm as to not trip over it. Buddy just shook his head, where as Shinzu sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Do you guys always do this whenever you meet?" Shinzu asked, rubbing his temples.

Rikya stood up straight; brushing the dirt off of his cloak and letting it fall to his ankles once more, massaging the skin surrounding his neck. "Usually, though she was never this . . ." he smirked, "enticing."

I never said a word, only looked away because the mere sight of him bubbled bile up my throat. I crossed my arms over my chest, blocking his view of my breasts as I turned away. "Where's Brother?" I asked, wondering the very question myself. If Brother had been there, he would've kicked the stuffing out of him! Or so I hoped . . . maybe it was just Gippal he was wary with?

"He went with the others to survey progress in Zanarkand. Says there's a sphere nearby, but since we don't have Shinra around anymore to confirm that statement, I guess it's anyone's bet," Buddy shrugged, ignoring the scene Rikya and I had just made. Zanarkand . . . guess Linera was serious about wanting to meet Gippal. I'm sure he too was offended by Rikya's Yunie comment, but I could tell he didn't want to make a fuss over some dumb insult an idiot who doesn't even know Yunie made. Gullibly, he turned back to me, scratching the back of his neck with his right hand. "Sorry for not telling you about the new girls, Rikku," he apologized, placing his left hand on his waist. "We just didn't want to make you guys upset over nothing. I mean, we still wanted a team, but since you guys left . . . "

I turned back to my old friend and smiled, allowing my arms to fall limp to my sides. "That's okay, Buddy," I assured, because really, I didn't mind as much anymore. "You guys did what you had to do. Besides, it's your ship now, anyway, do what you want with it."

Buddy looked up and met my eyes, smiling after seeing my own beam. "You took that well. Thought you'd be mad pissed or something," he laughed, ignoring the other two present on the bridge.

"Well, I was, at first, but they seem like nice people," _except for Linera_, "but not as nice as the original Gullwings, though!"

"I hate to break this family reunion, but remember the real reason we came here, Bud?" Shinzu reminded his brother, tearing our attention away from each other towards the other two.

Buddy simply nodded, waving away his words like a pesky fly. "Yeah, yeah, I've got the sphere, but it's gonna cost ya," he replied, smirking cruelly at Shinzu.

Shinzu frowned. "How much?"

"Well, you're in on Operation Recreation, right?" Buddy asked, stepping lightly around the subject. Since his brother and he had opposing views about the matter, it was a topic that kicked the tension up a notch in the room.

"Yeah, what about?" Shinzu wondered, already afraid of the answer.

"You know how the Al Bhed working on you-know-what won't let any other 'civilian Al Bhed' in on the details, right? You were at that meeting last night, meaning you're one of the 'important' people or whatever, while I was just there to check up on an old friend," Buddy explained, stepping around Rikya to face his sibling head on.

Shinzu cropped an eyebrow. "Get to the point," he stated dully, crossing his muscular arms across the broad flat expanse of his chest.

Instead of replying to Shinzu first, Buddy turned to me, looking past the quizzical look that Rikya was giving him and onto my own. "What do you say, Rikku? Wanna see what's up with Gippal?" He asked, wiggling his brows to that. I could feel heat rush to my face, but it submerged quickly to which I was grateful for.

"Um, well-"

"Perfect," Rikya interrupted me, speaking his words with a divine tongue as he faced Buddy, a mischievous shadow fixed about his face. "I shall escort our dear Rikku to the spheres, all access granted. Now, all you have to do is hand me that sphere and we'll be on our way," he arranged, extending his hand out to Buddy, fingers curved elegantly in a gesture to be offered a sphere. _What was this sphere and why is it so vital to him?_ I wondered, furrowing my brows for the billionth time that day.

"Ha, you're not getting off that easily," Buddy scoffed, walking over to Shinra's old computer chair. "You're not laying a finger on that sphere until you take Rikku to the grounds, got it? Who knows, counting on you, you might ditch her right when you leave the ship."

"Now, why would I do such a sinister act such as that?" Rikya asked, wiggling his fingers impatiently.

"Come on, Bud, we don't have all day," Shinzu sighed in exasperation, rubbing his temples with thumb and pointer finger.

"Well, I can always play your sphere for all to see if you refuse to take her beforehand," Buddy offered as he sat down on the comfy chair, logging onto the database.

"_No!_" Rikya shouted persistently, rushing over to Buddy's side to place a hand onto the keyboard. "Fine, I'll take the little wench to Zanarkand, but you're not to show another soul my sphere, got it?" He spat, glaring down at Buddy with a venomous lure.

Buddy smiled wickedly, dragging his mouse away from the folder labeled _Treasure Spheres_. "Nice to see you finally cooperating, Rikky. I'll zap you three to the Zanarkand grounds in about five minutes; the transporter has to warm up first. Sit tight 'til then," he told us, stretching his arms towards the ceiling then began clicking against the keyboard to operate the transporter.

_What sphere? What was going on?_ "Um, Buddy? Why in Yevon am I going to Zanarkand? And what's up with Rikya's sphere?" I asked curiously, stepping around Shinzu towards Buddy in an attempt to clarify a few things. _Nobody tells me anything anymore! _I thought with a pout, awaiting Buddy's reply.

"It's about Gippal. Thought you'd like to have the inside scoop behind his actions, or am I wrong?" He smirked, raising one eyebrow precariously.

"That'd be great!" I exclaimed with a bit of surprise, widening my eyes. But no . . . there was something I had to do before seeing Gippal, and there was no way I was going to see him again without having learned a piece of information worth interest . . . "Wait," I halted Buddy's actions, "no, I have to go to Bevelle first. I have to speak with Paine and Baralai about . . . something." Buddy looked up at me, a wipe of knowledge clearing his eyes. He knew exactly what my intentions were and what they meant to me; I wasn't the only one who had played that sphere.

He smiled but weakly this time, facing the computer screen again. "Sure. Yo, Shinzu, Rikya, we're gonna be making a stop before Zanarkand, you dig?"

Shinzu sighed in exasperation. "Why me . . . I didn't ask to have a brother with an attention deficit disorder, I didn't ask to have a coworker whose ego is more inflated than the Blitzball Sphere in Luca . . . "he mumbled to himself, walking away towards the stairs. Rikya's eyes sparkled with curiosity, forgetting about his discomfort with the situation for a moment.

"Fine, but I'm coming along, too," he teased, whisking his warm cloak lightly around the skin of my bare legs.

Before I could protest, Buddy spoke for me, "Whatever, I just don't want you on this ship by the time Brother returns." To that I couldn't provoke the deal made, since Brother might blow a fuse to hearing that a stranger had nearly molested his baby sister. Then again, it wasn't as if I cared much if Rikya got beat to a bloody pulp, but I still had some heart and Brother drove my nerves when he went into a rage. Rikya's always been a jerk, but maybe if we talked sensibly in Bevelle, we might be able to set our past differences aside. I mean, it wasn't as if the man was completely senseless, and hopefully he wouldn't attempt to molest me again (not that he did much before anyway), right?

As I was still facing the computer screen, Rikya rubbed up against my hip and brushed his fingers along my inner-thigh from behind, actions hidden behind his cloak. I shuddered, wanting to slap him but feared that that would cause a riot from Shinzu and Buddy. He was already doing so much for me as it was; I didn't want to trouble him with my personal quarrels. Besides, I could handle Rikya any day, all this was going to take was a little . . . elbow grease. Maybe a little blood and saliva as well, but I was hoping that it wouldn't have to come to that. If he had it his way, it'd be cum, but I was planning on saving that much for Gippal. _Aren't you a naughty little girl_, I teased myself, distracting myself from Rikya for a moment, but only temporarily.

Rikya trailed his way up under the tight material of my skirt, fingering the soft skin of my buttocks sensually as it brought a silent shiver from my lips. His sculpted face bore no emotion except for an arrogant smirk that played about his lips, as if to say, "I'm the dominant one in this game." Beneath his cool exterior he was screaming for sex as if it hadn't been served to him in decades, or maybe that's just how his dick always felt. Unlike Gippal, his body didn't radiate heat . . . it was a cold desire that swelled up within you, nothing but the need for sweaty, tainted sex. There was no love there, which only made my smile spread wider. I could definitely handle this guy. I gracefully took my right hand and slipped it under my skirt, grabbing the pervert's teasing fingers and cracked them with a swift flick of the wrist. He hissed deep within his throat, yanking his hand and sore fingers away from my violent grip.

"Oh, goodie," I said to no one in particular as Buddy gave Rikya an odd look from over his shoulder, "can't wait."

_oooooooooooooooooooo_

_A/N: Ooh, I did not like this chapter one bit . There was no Gippal in it at all; I barely mentioned his name! I guess that's what you've gotta do when creating a smut story with plot, though. Oh, but looky here? We have the hottie Rikya to spice up the story! (Which, by the way if any of you were confused, his name is pronounced rick-eye-ah. I would've spelt it like Rikia to emphasize the eye-ah, but the y looks a lot cooler than the i, don't you think?) . . . Please do not tell me that I've just written nine whole pages without any Gippal lemon. Oh, the woe! Then again, I look forward to Rikya acting wicked deeds upon Rikku, so that's something to look forward to (in typing wise for me, that is). If any of you were wondering, the dream that Rikku had doesn't play a major role in the story, but will be explained once Rikku talks to Paine. I've had many dreams that resembled the one she had, though, which is pretty creepy. _

_Anyway, lemme see, what else . . . oh yeah, favorite characters! Mine were Rikku and Gippal (obviously), but more so Tobli (I loved that duck outfit of his and how he talked!) and Buddy ('cause he's the token black guy of the game) when it comes to minor characters. My least favorites were Leblanc (she's flipping annoying and that Noojie Woojie crap made me sick) and probably Baralai. The only reason why people lump Paine and him together (no offense to those of you who like that pairing) is because they're the remaining ones without a lover. I don't particularly hate Baralai, but just to warn you, he won't exactly have a happy ending . . . Oh, and from FFX, I adored Auron (he was the best player to fight with) and Wakka ('cause come on, Wakka's the coolest). If you've actually read this, who were your favorite and least favorite characters? It's always nice to learn about different people's views. Ah well, 'til next time! This has been Grimmy, signing out!_


	5. Attic of Despair

_oooooooooooooooooooo_

**Chapter V: Attic of Despair**

_oooooooooooooooooooo_

"Why'd you dye your hair?" Rikya asked restlessly as we walked down the long aisle leading towards the kingdom gates. We would've taken the lift down the waterway, but _somebody _was afraid of getting his expensive cloak wet. What a pre-madonna!

"What do you care?" I asked, stretching my arms towards the darkening sky. Gray clouds drifted amongst themselves, conjoining to form a heavy rain cloud and blocking the blazing sun. It was definitely going to be raining soon, so it wouldn't have mattered if we took the lift or not. Besides, what's the point of a cloak if it's not going to be sheltering you from the rain or snow? Pretty pointless if you ask me.

"Your hair was the most lovely shade of blond before is all. Orange is so unbecoming," he scoffed, brushing a few long braids away with just the nod of his head. So many braids . . . how could he stand it?

"Yeah? Well so is black," I replied lamely, eyes fixated with his hair. "Hey, do you braid your hair every morning or does it play the role of dreads?" I asked, flicking a tight, thin one with my pointer finger.

"I braid them once a month; twice if it gets knotted and raggedy to a point where I can no longer bare it," he answered, fingering one of his waist-length braids and the black bead holding the end together.

"Ooh, when did you become so feminine and prim?" I teased, forgetting for a second that this was a man who did not take teasing well. He could be so uptight about the smallest things sometimes, I soon realized. What happened to the scrubby Rikya that we all knew and hated?

"Gothic fashion has always played a major role in my attires. Yet what of you, Miss Orange? When did clothing not become a necessity?" He asked casually, trailing a long, pale finger down the line of my stomach. I swatted it away and shrugged, brushing a few strands of hair out of my eyes.

"Clothing gets in the way of action," I smiled, then frowned to see a surprised brow of his raise. "You pervert! I meant battles and fighting, gees . . . "

"Whatever you say," he smirked, waltzing with dignity as his velvet cloak billowed behind him. We looked like super-heroes marching up to the gates of Bevelle's luxurious castle, guards saluting us (well, maybe just me) as we passed. If Yunie were here, they'd be on their knees bowing like slobbery villagers and showering her with gifts, but because I've only been her little helper, I got the salute. Ah well.

A defender in red and orange robes stopped us at the door, bowing before me, then turning to Rikya crossly. "What business do you have here?" He asked directly, standing straight and tall like a menacing fiend trying to defend his home, puffing out his chest in order to scare away offenders. And right when I thought this day couldn't get any cornier . . .

Rikya was about to say something rather nasty before I jumped in, hopping between the two towering men. "We're here to see Paine and Baralai; they around?" I asked, beaming with an angelic innocence.

He eyed Rikya for another moment or so (Rikya rolling his eyes with exasperation), then turned to me and bowed low with indubitable respect. "My apologies, but they're not within Bevelle's perimeters today. Master Baralai informed us that they were to be visiting in Guadosalam for the weekend, holding a meeting with the leader of the Youth League faction," he explained as I rubbed my chin with thumb and pointer finger. _Hmm . . . what was Nooj doing in Guado—oh, duh! Leblanc! _I thought, snapping my fingers randomly. The two men stared down at me quizzically, probably wondering if I had fallen off a chocobo recently.

"Oh, heh-heh, um, thank you very much! We'll be on our way, then," I nodded up to the Bevelle defender, taking my leave with my head held high. Rikya was left to catch up and follow, grabbing at my shoulder in confusion.

"Where are we going now?" He asked warily, waving his cloak purposely against the face of a guard and acting as if the wind had manipulated it.

"Where else? Guadosalam! We could use the exercise," I replied, swinging my arms playfully from side to side.

"You mean we're _walking_ there? That's through the Thunder Plains, though! I'd easily get my cloak mussed and wet!" He exclaimed, voice shrill as if to say I were mad.

_That's exactly why we're cutting through there, he-he_. "Oh, relax, it's just a measly cloak," I pointed out, waving away the conversation as I skipped ahead down the path, nodding towards the bowing guardsmen on my way. _Payback's a bitch,_ I mentally cackled, noting on how he'd felt me up earlier on the ship.

He slumped his shoulders as he dragged his feet from behind me, muttering offensive words to himself under his breath. Surprising how he hadn't suggested just boarding the airship and letting me be on my way, but he followed nonetheless as I skipped ahead towards the Macalania Woods. As I skipped, I thought of memories with a sad smile, pace fading into a steady walk after moments passed.

Memories, I've found, are bittersweet . . . may they be wistful or joyous, you'll still feel a faint sting underlying whatever tough exterior you've created to block out those emotions. The Macalania Woods were certainly no exception, and while they were faded and no longer glowing, the memories built there were. I just hoped that I could travel past this memory lane and be on my way, without any pyreflies to reenact my one big mistake.

_oooooooooooooooooooo_

The woods hadn't disappeared, contrary to popular belief two years ago. Matter cannot simply vanish into thin air, yet it was still different. It might as well have disappeared, though, because the trees no longer illuminated their magical glow. The leaves no longer embodied the soul of a sparkling free spirit and the glimmering path that cut across and above the woods was no longer there. The Macalania Woods had lost its magic that had attracted so many and homed the bodies and souls of the Guado for some time two years ago. Even fiends no longer treaded the walkways through the woods; it was as dead and soulless as a vacant city.

Actually, I was surprised that no group of people hadn't spied this piece of land and thought to build a town or machina city out of it yet, but I guess even I wouldn't want to live here. With the glow of the trees, the memories created here too faded. It felt eerie to walk among its dead dirt, and I wanted nothing more but to be rid of this place.

"I smell death; the scent of corpses and roses," Rikya wondered aloud, fingering the crisp leaves of the trees that hung from low branches as we passed.

"It's just the woods," I barely whispered, voice caught in my throat. The trees weren't dead, and they weren't holding onto life by a thread, but the woods still harbored a shallow glimpse of life, lingering about its roots. It smelt of a cemetery, dull and sweet with a hint of light, but it was just a hint. Darkness swallowed each crèmes of the trees' bark, every pinch of dirt that soiled the pathway. It felt so lonely, and I wanted somebody to hold me right then and there.

Then I looked up at the disgruntled Rikya, who was probably a head and a half or two taller than I was. If he held me in those thick tree-branches for arms, all I'd feel was a cold quietness, unlike the heat that radiated from Gippal whenever our bodies would merely touch. I wanted Gippal to hold me right then, to be comforted by his adoring flames of desire. I wished that I'd have never broken up with him in those woods four years ago, because if I hadn't, we'd probably still be together at that very moment in time and I wouldn't feel afraid or lonely anymore.

But regretting was futile. I would see him soon and forsaking past memories was a coward's way out of confrontation with the present. I sped ahead of Rikya, keeping a steady pace for I was eager to leave that forest of despair.

"Mind?" Rikya sighed, referring to my hasty state as we neared the woods exit. I had had it up to _here_ with him! Maybe it was my paranoia of the Macalania Woods but something drove me to insanity once his words wrung inside my head, echoing like the steady beat of an annoying drum.

"Why did you come back?" I demanded, spinning around on my heel to confront him. He stopped abruptly; appearing confused with the scene I was making. Humph, what a big surprise, Rikya was confused!

"What do you mean? Where have I gone before for me to return to?" He asked, sneering down at my horrendous state. I jabbed my index finger in his face, squinting my eyes to express my utmost infuriation with him.

"_You!_ What's wrong with you? You disappear for five years without so much as a howdy, yet pop back up and start feeling me up like messing with my life is a game? Well I'll tell you what Mr. Big Shot, if you so much as lay a _finger_ on me or Gippal, I'll make sure that that precious cloak of yours is the last thing you see before departing to the Farplane! Do I make myself clear?" I threatened, voice shrill with sincerity. I swept my hand away quickly before he could react and spun around once more, stomping off towards the Thunder Plains as my fists quivered with fury. I was so mad that I didn't sense him coming, storming up from behind me.

Rikya violently grabbed at my left wrist and swung me around with ease, throwing me against the tough bark of a black, withered tree. He yanked both of my wrists above the hairs on my head; face too close for comfort as I could feel the first hint of heat rise from beneath him for the very first time. Flames licked and flickered along the edges of his steel blue eyes and I could tell that maybe, just maybe, I had struck a nerve. Me and my big mouth.

"Fucking you would be too easy," he hissed, a speck of his spit landing on my cheek, "and raping you would lose my position as an Al Bhed with an actual name. I've always enjoyed misery and pain, but impaling it upon you is like a fucking orgasm in itself. You know why I've decided to show my face again, _Hero_? I'm here for a little request," he tightened his grip around my wrists as they grew numb, bruising them, most likely, and squeezing my veins until they felt like bursting. His voice lowered dramatically, and for the first time in years, I could see Rikya's true form arise from the ashes like a filament phoenix. I puffed out my chest, accidentally brushing my hard nipples against his own since he came down to level with me, bent over my puzzled face for our raw, burning eyes to meet. Hmm, nice to know I was excited about _something_.

"What's that?" I squeezed out my displeased words as my lips pursed with disgust.

"You know, you've just made this all too simple," he snickered, damp forehead resting upon my own as he pinched a hard nipple of mine through the material covering it. I gasped, loins tightening below for this malicious seducer. "Today, my only intentions were to take back what was mine: a sphere long lost. I planned on making this arrangement sometime soon considering on if we would have the chance to be alone or not, but since your short fuse is so persistent, I figure . . . yes, you'd be perfect for the job," he rambled, hot breath steaming against my flushed face. I jerked my head away as far as possible while struggling for him to let slack of his grip on my wrists, his legs tightening around my own.

"What's your point?" I managed to hiss out, left cheek scraping against the bark of the rough, black tree. He rolled the very erect nipple between finger and thumb, a painful pleasure catching a surprised moan from my throat.

"I've lost someone very important to me, and you're going to help me find her," he settled his request . . . well, more demand, brushing his lips against my right cheek lightly. He revolted me, but his words sprung a peculiar emotion from deep within. Someone important to him, and he wanted me to help him find her? Has Rikya found love? No, it couldn't be that, otherwise he wouldn't have acted like such a pig towards me, feeling me up and undressing me with his eyes. If somebody were truly in love, they wouldn't need any other eye candy to settle their lust, or so I've always thought.

"And why, exactly, do you think I'd help _you_ of all people?" I asked, voice low and near growling.

"Because, precious, you're-"and those were the last words from Rikya before his steel blue eyes lulled to the back of his head and his body dropped to the moist dirt, slick, sweaty hands falling away from my wrists and nipple, straining against the fabric. I looked up to see a steaming Paine, glaring down at my sadistic companion in silent fury while her hands were clasped tight around the handle of a bamboo sword. I was so caught up in my own anger that I hadn't even noticed her approach and bop him swiftly but with strength on his head.

Her crimson eyes slipped from the unconscious Rikya to my stilled state, hands scratching along the rigid bark of the tree to my tender thighs. Before I could explain, she spoke, "Rikku, who was that? What are you doing here? Are you alright?" She dropped her bamboo stick on the ground away from Rikya, stepping over his black figure to comfort whatever damage he may have done to me.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Ease on the questions, all right? That's Rikya, I'm here to see Baralai and you, and yes, I'm fine. He's just a dick, that's all," I sneered, kicking his still leg without any passion or strength, turning back to Paine with cheerful eyes. I didn't want to include her on my list of problems that day, and explaining to Paine that I was being harassed by an industrial prick who wanted me to join his league of vampires (or whatever) was definitely not something she needed to carry the burden of. She probably wouldn't be able to do anything about him, anyway, and what's my problem is my problem. I still felt breathless, but I guess I can recover more quickly than I had ever thought.

"Seemed more like he was about to rape you. Who is this guy?" She asked, hand wavering about the air above Rikya.

"He's, uh, an old Al Bhed . . . friend. Yep, haven't seen him in five years or so; he must've been ecstatic to see me or something," I flashed her a forced smile and stepped around Rikya's limp body, bending over to pick up the thick bamboo stick. "Ooh, what's this? What happened to your big manly sword, Paine?" I poked her with the makeshift sword, attempting to change the subject from my offender.

Paine, as usual, saw right through my plastered on exterior and crossed her arms across her chest, giving me a skeptical, 'no-bull' stare. "Rikku, I haven't seen you for over a year and this is how you greet me?" She sighed, closing her eyes as her gloved hands fluttered to her temples. She too still wore the exact same outfit as the day we had all left our separate ways . . . except for the bamboo stick. "Look, I only came out here as a getaway from the meeting Baralai is attending, so you're damned lucky that I stumbled upon you and this 'friend' rubbing up against a tree. I know you're lying to me, Rikku, but I can wait for you to give me an explanation," she retaliated, grabbing her 'sword' away out of my grip as she walked away from the shadowy scene and back towards the Thunder Plains. Something was . . . off. Why had she come all the way out here just to get away from some boring meeting? I was grateful that she had torn Rikya away from me (even if he was finally getting to an explanation for his actions, or so I assumed), but why was she all the way out here?

"That seems like a pretty long walk you've just taken," I wondered aloud peculiarly, my voice laden with sufficed curiosity. That made her stop in her tracks. I continued, grabbing at any word that might strike a nerve, thus luring her towards my bait, "What's up, Paine? I'll tell you my problems if you tell me yours. I'm sorry for this abrupt meeting after all this time, but I need to talk with you, and seeing Yunie and Tidus again would be nice." I suspected that before, she was about to walk away from me again without so much as a good-bye, and my prediction had been correct. She hadn't expected me to follow; leaving me to tend to an unconscious foe, so I was happy to see her turn around to face me once more. Her expression, as usual, was emotionless. It was an act, and I knew that she could be happy if she wanted to, but that dead mask she put on was one of her more popular traits that I think she'll probably never grow out of or abandon.

She spoke, but her words were dry with haste. "Bring your friend. Meet me at the Mansion of Past Maesters; I'll be waiting," she instructed me, turning around on her heal again to face the rain and lightening that was the Thunder Plains. But wait . . . Mansion of Past Maesters?

"Wait, Paine! What's this mansion business? Where's that?" I asked, voice rising for her image was fading off into the murky distance.

She didn't bother stopping to shout her reply, "Where else? Leblanc and Seymour's old place!" With that her figure faded alike the Macalania Woods, along with its memories, leaving me to scratch my head slouched over Rikya's now groaning form.

_Mansion of Past Maesters . . . but wait; wasn't Leblanc living there? Hmm . . . wait, oh yeah! Tremoll! Although my memory's a little fuzzy, he became the maester or whatever of Guadosalam, right? What about Leblanc, then? Why are they holding a meeting in Guadosalam if Leblanc or Nooj doesn't even live there? Maybe it was Yunie's doing?_ My thoughts buzzed around my head like the pesky pyreflies floating amongst the woods' grave, never stopping to take a rest or never dying like a familiar, hybrid soul.

Rikya rubbed the back of his sore head tentatively and squinted cool, blue eyes at me, puzzlement filling his forlorn face. Humph, well, at least I wouldn't have to drag him to Guadosalam all by myself, or I hoped not. He towered over me like an advanced machina, looming like a dead, black tree. Putting his weight on my shoulder would've been a real pain. Then again, I could've always just abandoned him there lying on the ground, confused on what had just smacked him on the back of his pretty head, but that wouldn't have solved anything . . . as usual. I can't say I wasn't tempted, though, but I helped him stand and 'accidentally' flicked the back of his aching head a few dozen times before I was satisfied. When he was feeling better, he _would_ give me the down low on what he had been trying to spout out from earlier, or curiosity wouldn't be the only mind-number that killed the cat.

_oooooooooooooooooooo_

He hadn't spoken a word to me as he dragged his feet along the wet, slick earth of the Thunder Plains. It was surprising as well, since he didn't even vocalize his complaints about his outfit being sloshed and dirtied, his cloak dragging along in the mucky mud like a limp, sad rug ready to be stepped on again. Pity, I didn't think Paine had hit him _that_ hard, but at least I didn't have to help him walk. Who knows, if I were lucky, he'd have gotten a concussion.

The Thunder Plains was still a hefty piece of land to cover, and even though it was still as rainy and cold as an ogre's black heart, it was bearable and we arrived at Guadosalam in one piece. I should've sent him back to the ship, but when I suggested that option to him, he refused like a stubborn child. You'd think his pride and dignity had been tossed and torn, but he still trudged through the sludge like every other creature in Spira, rain or shine or healthy or injured. Humph, what an ego that must've been to harness.

They planned on building a force field around the Thunder Plains; like a giant dome, making these lands far simpler to tread on and travel across. It was as if they were taking the fun out of traveling, for the dangers that might ensure and the weather that befalls ahead! Yet of course, the Al Bhed were in on this plan for upgrading the Thunder Plains a step further, creating a utopian paradise for people like me wanting to walk about on foot in peace. Then again, hovers and chocobos were being ranched just about everywhere nowadays! The days of the Pilgrimages have passed . . . now it was onto a new and brighter generation, filled with high-tech machina and the city that never sleeps! I guess you could say my anticipation wasn't as chock full of energy as others, and I'm usually the most optimistic, energetic one of the group. I just wanted my life back, whatever that had been, but my journey was days, maybe even weeks ahead. Reaching its purpose could take a lot longer than I had first prophesized, and I'd have a lot more encounters to stall my progress in the future.

Gippal was the leader for each upgrade assignment. He had moved onto bigger and better things since the days of digging on the Bikanel Island and the defeat of Vegnagun, but they no longer included the labor of interviewing those with high, false hopes. He worked alongside Pops; somebody who considered Gippal to be the son he never had (much to Brother's tweaked discretion). They made a good team when it came to completing work and keeping everybody's schedule in check, but I felt that they were taking advantage of Spira's welcoming arms to the Al Bhed as of late years. I'm usually the one to root for change when it came to machina, but . . . maybe I was finally maturing. That sucks, too, because who wants to mature at the age of nineteen?

Yet Yunie's presence assured me that I had not fully matured yet, because I dropped my achy, disgruntled 'sidekick' and leapt into her arms, embracing a warm hug once Rikya and I had traveled through the depressing paths of the Thunder Plains without a single random encounter of a fiend.

"Yunie!" I shouted gleefully, squeezing her tight against me. "I can't believe I haven't seen you in so long!" A lone, warm tear found its way to the ducts in my eyes, trickling down my cheek as I fluttered my eyes closed and swallowed the moment whole. It tasted sweet like sugarcanes, a spice I hadn't licked in so long. I didn't even care to notice the many of Guado eyes clashing stares our way, and hadn't realized Tidus standing before Yunie and me before his words shattered the heart-warming moment encasing us.

"Well if it isn't the young Al Bhed girl here to grace us with her presence," he spoke with forgotten tongue-in-cheek humor powdering over his words. I quickly slipped away from Yunie's willing embrace and jumped at Tidus, ringing his neck with my arms.

"I missed you, too," I replied with laughter bubbling up my throat, wiping a warm tear against the fine cloth of his white hood. He didn't inflict the moment with words already unsaid, only wrapped strong arms around me and patted my bare back with care. I could now see why Yunie had cherished him so, but those protective arms were nothing compared to . . . no, not now, I wasn't going to think about him yet.

"Dare I interrupt this warm, fuzzy moment?" Paine strutted down the humid path, using her bamboo stick as a casual cane. I peeked over Tidus' puffed shoulder and sneered with my brows. I would've hugged her as well, but it just seemed a tad . . . inappropriate. I don't know how, really, because she was a missed friend as well, but Paine's true self never stirred from its seemingly eternal slumber. She could laugh at times, but that cool expression guarding her soul with a rampant, steel shield warned me that retracing past, fond steps with her wouldn't be at all too simple.

I pulled away from Tidus and smiled foolishly her way, scratching another lone tear away from my cheekbone with a hasty finger. Tidus glanced her way as well and nodded, looking back to his lover Yunie and reconciling, "I just remembered—I have to go back to the meeting. They'll blow a fuse if I'm gone for too long." He jogged up the dirt pathway and added over his shoulder, "Hey, we'll talk some other time, 'kay?" Referring to me. I nodded to nobody in particular and watched as his golden body disappeared from over the sloped hill, noting on how many resemblance's he and Gippal shared.

"Coming?" Paine cocked her head towards Yunie and me, gesturing for us to follow her lead. That reminded me . . . how had Paine reached Guadosalam before me in record timing? I mean, sure, I had some extra luggage to weigh me down, but she had to have jogged to make it to Yunie and Tidus to inform them of my visit, right?

We followed her relentless, all the while Yunie gushed about how glad she was to see me again and why I had never dropped by before. I practically just smiled and nodded throughout her entire warm greeting as reply, allowing her to make do with her welcoming first. Paine, on the other hand, seemed very . . . cool. As cool and casual as I'd ever seen her! What had happened while I was gone to help her adept to a serpent-like flow of calm and attitude? It was unsettling, to say the least.

As we were walking through the main entrance, Guado servants bowing subtly along the way, I was made aware of 'the strapping young man in black', still lying on the cool earth of Guadosalam's entrance. How pitiful; he just laid there limp! I thought he was conscious before, but I guess Paine really _had_ hit him with a stunning blow, contrary to my previous thoughts. Either that, or when I had dropped him carelessly, it brought his throbbing headache back and blood flowing again . . . oops. Oh well. I told the servants to leave him be, said with a bittersweet tongue, but they went to inspect him anyway, disregarding my orders. He needed urgent medical assistance so they summoned the royal healer pronto after surveying his severe head injury. _Props to Paine_ was what I wanted to congratulate, but who needed the Guado to think of me as a heartless wench, anyway? What they didn't know couldn't hurt them.

We entered the dining room where I had first caught glimpse of Seymour. Seymour had been attractive . . . in this goofy-haired, girly-sounding villain sort of way, but he was the real heartless bastard whom I'd still never forgive, even after four years passed. Hell, it'd be a millennia before I would even _consider_ forgiving that pompous ass. Remembering those awful memories brought a bad taste in my throat, and I tried to swallow down the fictional bile before recalling that Paine had said something to me.

"Come again?" I asked with a toothy smile, trying to pass off my startled state with an apple from a fruit dish on a long, white robed table, flicking it up in the air and catching it with my other free hand. Feeling the cold skin of that fresh apple also reminded me of how hungry I actually was, so I decided to take a hearty bite out of the dull red, juicy fruit, remembering to be attentive to Paine's words this time around.

"I said, now are you comfortable telling us of who that man was?" Paine replied in an aggravated tone, leaning her weight on the strong bamboo of the stick. It caught my eye again, glistening against my pupil. Again, where was her he-man sword?

"First, you tell me why you've got that weird stick at your belt now instead of your sword," I wagered, spitting flecks of the apple's meat out of my mouth by unmannered accident. One landed on the toe of Yunie's boot, but I don't think she noticed. She was too preoccupied with me still, even if I wasn't saying anything of actual importance.

Paine sighed her typical _why me_ sigh and wiggled the bamboo stick from beneath her. "It's called a defense sword; not 'weird stick', woven with wicker and bamboo. I decided to sheath my old sword in place of this one at Baralai's suggestion. This is less violent and intimidating, since intimidation against foes won't be necessary as long as I reside in Bevelle. Now, you," Paine prompted, sparing a sideways glance towards Yuna and back to my innocent stature. I raised eyebrows at that. Paine taking suggestions from a man, replacing her combat sword for a guard one? Now I've heard everything.

But I didn't share my thoughts with the others; feeling it would stir more tired exasperation with Paine, and explained my own situation. I told them that Rikya was an old friend of mine who had boarded the Celsius to retrieve a treasure sphere of his, and that he wanted to accompany me on my meeting to Bevelle. I practically left out everything else and could tell that Paine had noticed. She didn't comment on my bland explanation; probably thinking that she could question the more intimate bits in later private conversations, but nodded her acknowledgement and allowed Yunie to reply first. I guess she didn't want Yunie to worry, either.

"Rikku, I'm so glad you're okay," she expressed, stepping forward to hold a reluctant hand of mine. "So that's why you were on the ship, right?"

"Um . . . what?" I asked hesitantly.

"I can't believe Gippal tried to rape you! He seemed like such a gentleman, despite his rough surface . . . he didn't hurt you, did he?" Yunie asked, tone thick with worry as she clutched at my hand in a more desperate grasp.

"Word travels fast," Paine complied flatly after seeing my befuddled state.

"Um, heh-heh, I'm fine, really! Nothing I can't handle; we've dealt with scarier fiends in the past, right?" I said, tense with anxiousness. I explained to them what had happened last night with the ordeal, though not in great detail. I didn't want to have to worry Yunie, really I didn't, so I said nothing more to Yunie's skeptical eyes. Skidding over the uncomfortable atmosphere of the room with a different subject, I prodded, "So," I laid full attention on Yunie, allowing my hand to fall out of her own slick one. "Are you and Tidus gonna get hitched, or are ya gonna get hitched?" I nudged her inwardly, walking between my two wary allies.

She blushed at that, a pale hand of hers sliding up to the full, pearly pink lips of her upturned mouth. I could tell that she wanted to further the discussion on Gippal's actions, but could feel that it was awkward for me to even explain. I've always been grateful for Yunie's sentimental consideration. "Well . . ."

Her words were cut off by a commotion in the fancy foyer. _Thank you_, I sighed deep within, fully understanding her intentions of wanting to talk more of Gippal. Talking about my would-be boyfriend was pretty tiring, and I didn't want to burden them with my problems . . . as usual.

The door to the bright, white dining room was pushed open slowly—the oaken door was rather heavy—and a platinum blond head peaked its way through.

"Sorry I'm late; these dumb-asses couldn't work out the kinks on the electricity tower for some sector of . . ." his eyes rolled up suddenly, head nodding up with them to catch a full view of the three of us, gaping at him in shock as he dropped his jaw. I _had_ to be the most embarrassed of the three; a haughty heat rising towards the surface of my face, bruising it in burgundy. I didn't know why I was blushing; he hadn't said anything to _me_, but seeing him again brought back . . . it didn't matter what it brought back, because I then realized why he had dropped his jaw so abruptly. His eyes fell upon me before anyone else—must've been the hair—lapping up every bit of my startled pose, until he caught himself quickly and snapped it shut.

"What are you doing here!" We both said in unison, pointing an accusing finger at one another in disbelief. Our eyes rounded wide like a chocobo caught in hover-headlights, unsure of what to say to another after the trials we had just endured. I could hear Paine chuckle from behind me; probably rolling her eyes as well. I knew she knew something! But . . . um, what?

"I forgot to tell you, Rikku. Baralai, Nooj, Tidus, and Gippal were to attend a meeting together today to discuss their future plans for Spira. But, since you were so slow in arriving here and hasty to share with us a brief explanation of the word-about, it must've slipped my mind," Paine informed rather bluntly. There was no amusement in her words, no tilt of sarcasm to emphasize any of her syllables, only the plain and simple truth. I had a feeling that she knew of what Gippal had committed the other day, which would explain why she had no comment after my own explanation, so I guess she felt sort of guilty for not warning me. But . . . it was okay. I wanted to see him again, anyway, and this was the easier way about . . . I supposed.

I relaxed a bit, the pang between my shoulder blades easing after realizing that I had much more to discuss and there was no time in my future contemplation's for finger-pointing. I guess I was maturing, after all! Gippal noticed how I had calmed; allowing my arm to fall limp to my side, and he slowly followed my lead as well. Skepticism leaped about the soles of his eyes. It was obvious what he was thinking: Is this a set-up?

"Um," he murmured, scratching the back of his bright, sunny head in astonishment, "where's, uh, Nooj and Baralai, Dr. P.?" He placed his full attention on Paine, deliberately trying to ignore me.

"The party's in the conference room," Paine replied smoothly, glancing at me under Gippal's radar as she paced past the three of us, silent as ghosts. "Come, Rikku. I'll show you Yuna's new home. Yuna, show Gippal to the ballroom . . . please," she ordered, hesitating over the last word. She hardly ever said please, which was why we hardly protested.

"Who died and crowned you queen," I muttered, pretending to be preoccupied with the beige ribbons on my arms as I passed Gippal, placing the uneaten ruby red apple on the table's ledge. The tension between us was so thick you could've cut it with a dull, Hypello knife. I concentrated so hard on fingering my ribbons, trying to remain casual as my eyes teetered along the material, that my body brushed Gippal's shoulder and waist and smacked right into Paine's back. As Paine growled my name in infuriation, my body seemed to respond to Gippal's and ignored the numbing pain after making contact with Paine's own stiffened one. It was static energy, brisling along my own arms and waist in reaction with my past lover's. I wonder if Yunie had ever felt this intimate energy with Tidus . . .

Gippal moved on though, snorting arrogantly as he followed Yuna through the open passageway through the dungeon area. Apparently, there had been many more rooms uncovered after Tromell's reign in the palace. "Hey Summoner, how's it goin'?" I could hear Gippal greet Yunie as their steps faded away into the depths of the shadowed corridors.

I sighed without intention; Paine eyeing me precariously as she raised a curious brow. I snapped my mouth shut quickly and walked past her through the open doorway, expecting her to follow. "So, uh, where's Yunie's place now?" I asked, swinging my thin, muscular arms freely; still tingling from contact with Gippal.

Paine laid down the blow and I cringed in preparation for it. "Rikku: out with it," she demanded, refusing to flex a muscle as she stood her ground. I halted and sighed again. This was going to be a _long_ night.

_oooooooooooooooooooo_

Yunie's new place was just off of the Farplane, a small accommodations sandwiched between other equally eerie houses. If Guadosalam was anything, it was eerie. They really had expanded the city since Tromell's rule; I should know, the Al Bhed helped along with their upgrade as well as other places. The paths were strung high throughout the city; a dirt pathway that wound up and around the residences like an upward spiral. They even expanded the shops and houses outward and down the current streets of a past Moonflow's forest. Well, at least you didn't have to endanger yourself with a longer travel through the Moonflow, that was for sure.

Yunie's pad was humble yet advanced; it had a touch of class but held electronic devices and technology as well. I was impressed, actually. It was a huge upgrade from her childhood home in Besaid, the only place that has refused to deal with the Al Bhed's befuddling machina and computers. Paine had me sit on an overstuffed couch in the living room, just off of the kitchen where she was offering me a drink. After I declined her offer, she sat across from me on a stiff rocking chair, hands strumming on the wooden armrest as she awaited my first words. I kicked my feet atop the coffee table and eyed her suspiciously.

After I refused to talk, she made the first move. "Question for a question. What we say here stays here, fair enough?" she wagered as she furrowed her brows at my stubborn self.

"Fair," I nodded, continuing after hesitating for a moment, "are you and Baralai fighting?" I could tell she wasn't going to appreciate my bluntness, but it was a question, right?

She cleared her throat. Wow, was she actually going to be honest with me for once? "We're not at our prime. Who, in truth, was that man accompanying you? He had you pressed against a tree, Rikku, I knew for a fact that he wasn't a friend of yours."

"He's a childhood enemy. He boarded the ship, wanting some sphere back; that I didn't lie about. What are you and Baralai fighting about?" It was going to be a standoff, I could tell. Both of our faces were straight and unmoved. I was surprised with myself, in fact, because I had not giggled or joked once so far.

Paine, expectantly, hesitated, but she was aiming for subtle truth. I'd have to be more specific in the future. "He suspects Nooj and I are having an affair. Was that Rikya guy threatening you?" I widened my eyes a bit, but let no emotion cross my face.

"Um, no, well sort of . . . he wanted me to help him find someone. _Are_ you having an affair with Nooj?" My fists clenched with anticipation. Paine really was taking her time on answering this one; her tension was apparent. Maybe I shouldn't have pressed . . .

Finally, she closed her eyes with light lids and replied, "It's not as simple as you would think. Leblanc and he had a fight in Luca, so he came here to live with Yuna and Tidus last month. Tidus and he are the best of friends now, so he finds it difficult to return to her. But a few days ago . . . never mind that. Are you still in love with Gippal?"

I would have pursued the topic of Nooj, but Paine knew exactly how to distract me. I sat there, still as a Ronso statue, as I looked off to a nonexistent distance, hoping that her peering eyes would stray away. I found it quaint that she used the word 'still' in question, but I guess it was obvious two years ago of who I pined for.

I finally replied, after what seemed a tense hour in my sweating head, but it wasn't what Paine had probably expected. "Paine . . . I had this really weird dream this morning. I was wondering if you could help clarify it for me . . . "

I couldn't tell what her reaction was since my eyes had fallen to my lap where nervous fingers twiddled, but she didn't press her question again. Maybe she could tell that this dream would lead up to my answer.

"I can try," she replied, voice baring a certain sympathy. I told her of my dream, down to the last toothless detail, and her reaction was . . . different than how most would react, to say the least. It was difficult for me to explain, especially after her question that strung a nerve, but I managed to meet her cool eyes with stride. She looked thoughtful instead of a confused open wound like how I felt, and she sat there a moment, mentally contemplating what her reply would be.

"Well," she prompted, "Bevelle has a philosophy on particular events in dreams we have, so I'll trust their teachings and say this: when you are pursued by a monster, it foretells bad omens, such as you'll meet with many sorrows and worries soon. Teeth falling out denote death, and that you'll meet with much grief soon as well. As for the rest . . . I can only recall by memory. They all denote bad omens, such as grief, distress, death, and so forth. This includes shadows, seeing yourself in a mirror, witnessing yourself being married, and an unknown man. But . . . attic follows under different criteria. You have certain hopes that will not materialize through lack of solid basis and that you will solve all of your problems through careful reasoning."

My jaw dropped and I could feel the skin around my eyes tighten as they were widening; I could feel my unease draining away as confusion butted in. How did she know all of _that_? "Um, Paine? How do you know so much about dreams?" I asked, furrowing my brows as my fingers continued to absently twiddle.

She smiled slightly, "I'm studying philosophical dreams and how to interpret them in Bevelle. Baralai churned my interest . . . "her smile faded at speaking her lover's name. I knew I had yet to answer her pervious question, but I was just dying to know!

"Paine, do _you_ love Baralai?" I asked softly, hoping not to sound too sharp or nosey.

She sighed, turning away from me to stare off into oblivion. "It's . . . complicated," she sighed, turning sad, crimson eyes back to on my own. "I'll . . . tell you . . . if you tell me."

There was no way of getting around _that_. But I wasn't sad anymore. Not like her, anyway. After a moment of biting my lower lip, I replied with clarity, "Yeah, I still do."

Paine chuckled. "Lucky you. You have the fortune of loving only one. Baralai . . . wasn't my first love," she said resentfully, eyes dropping down to her sweaty palms.

There was no turning back now. "Nooj was, wasn't he?" I prompted, allowing my feet to fall away from the burnished coffee table.

She nodded, shoulders aligned straight and still. After a few moments of her absent words, I figured that she wasn't going to continue and thought to leave her be, but to my surprise, she spoke on. "That bastard . . . he knew I was in love with him during our days in the Crimson Squad. He knew it, even though I had never confronted him with my own feelings. I also knew he hadn't felt the same way, even after Leblanc . . . but after those two years, I was able to let go. Meeting Baralai again spurred an interest . . . and we began dating after Tidus returned. I was _happy_ with him, I was finally happy again . . . until Nooj showed up a month ago. I ignored him and attempted to remain happy with Baralai at first, but Nooj began baring . . . emotions. Emotions unknown to me, or at least from him. That's why I walked all the way out to Macalania . . . Nooj had confronted me before the meeting, away from prying eyes . . . How could he do this to Leblanc, to Baralai? Why would he let his emotions straddle him so?" Her questions died in her voice, and I stiffened to hear that last unanswered question, a question foreign to us all. My pity reached out to her . . . but it did raise a fine point.

"I . . . don't know," I shrugged mainly to myself, head nodding away from Paine's . . . um, pain. I never knew that her love life was just as complicated as mine, and I felt that for once, somebody may be able to understand me under these circumstances. But wait . . . I was forgetting the real reason I had come to call upon Paine and the hopeful Baralai. Something rather important concerning Gippal. My eyes strayed back to her bowed head. "Paine . . . "I began before being typically interrupted, as usual, but from a familiar voice this time. I was always being interrupted when something important arose!

Yunie creaked the door to her small, humble home open, poking her head inside. "Is it okay if I come in?" She asked, eyes tinted with worry. Paine and I shook out of our melancholy trance and looked her way, nodding.

I smiled and joked, "Why shouldn't you? It's _your_ place!"

Yunie smiled weakly as she pushed the wood on its hinges, prostrating herself in the breezy doorframe. "Rikku . . . they've asked for you at the meeting. They'd like to know if you'd join them," she informed like a good messenger-girl, clasping her hands in front of her. Oh great, what did he want _this_ time? They couldn't possibly have predicted my arrival, so what could they have had to say?

"Um . . . "I glanced sideways to Paine, but her expression was void of emotion. "Sure," I agreed reluctantly, standing to join Yunie.

_This had better be worth my time_, I thought as I strode beside my accomplice; away from the Farplane and Paine's dreary thoughts. Hell, maybe if I was lucky enough, I could ask Gippal himself if his intentions were to marry me four years ago. I was beginning to feel more confident and high-strung that day, for this attic of memories was really beginning to wear me down of its dust.

_oooooooooooooooooooo_

_A/N: Whooo! And there's another chapter gone by! I'm actually surprised that I've gotten up to five chapters so far (old, unfinished fics haunt my past), but I really do enjoy typing this. No, Ally (nondenominational sister) , it hasn't been your persistent urging that's kept this fanfiction ongoing, it's been my love for writing; a flame that will never famish! (unless you pour really, really hot water on it; I hate hot water ) I would like to thank all of those who have reviewed so far; I haven't had the chance to thank you yet! My updates will hopefully be frequent, but I follow my own schedule, sorry . No, I'm not going to say I have a life outside of this fanfic (heh, it's rather boring to be frank), but I think a lot of you know how it is. You can't FORCE yourself to be in a writing mood, because if you aren't and you write anyway, the outcome is unsatisfying and painfully awful (in my experience). But, I will try and exert myself, that much I can assure you! I was actually surprised that I didn't get any flames; benefit of a doubt, I guess. I was secretly hoping to have a HUNDRED reviews (XD) but I suppose that not everyone is a Rikku/Gippal shipper. Different people, different flavors, right? This chapter also isn't one of my favorites (no Gippal action again ), but I PROMISE there will be plenty in the next chapter, mkay? _

_P.S. Since so many of you have replied to my question in the previous author's note, I'd like to ask another, and hopefully you'll respond as well . Hmm . . . let me see . . . oh yeah! Who was your favorite boss in FFX and FFX-2? I'm sorry, but I LOVED Seymour (despite his nasally voice), yet he was a real bitch to beat. Okay, HOW many times did he show up?! Throughout the entire last half of the game, you had to beat him about ten times, and he would JUST NOT DIE! I felt like I was taking crazy pills (XD)! After every battle with him, I was all, "Okay, that's the LAST TIME," then later on, "No . . . NO FUCKING WAY, he's back again?!" Grrr . . . anyway! Who was yours? This has been Grimmy, signing out!_


	6. Humming Libido

_oooooooooooooooooooo_

**Chapter VI: Humming Libido **

_oooooooooooooooooooo_

It was drizzling out; the clouds finally releasing their gray, lumpy bladders of dirtied water, but I knew that it wouldn't be light rain for long. The sky was heavy with brawling rain-clouds, upset like a growling, bloated man, and there was bound to be a pour very soon. Hopefully the waterfall of cold tears would dry out before I left the meeting, but there were no guarantees. It was going to be a _long _night.

I followed Yunie down the labyrinth of corridors, the drumming of raindrops against the Mansion of Maesters roof becoming a low hum with each corner we turned. It certainly was . . . different. I hadn't seen Tromell yet, and I wondered why. It was his place; after all, wouldn't he want to greet me at the door or something? The mere thought was a drop of moisture in my mist of problems, and it was a frivolous thing to ask, but I had to anyway.

"Hey, Yunie?" I asked softly, hoping that she hadn't been upset with me. I couldn't see why she would be, but she was oddly silent ever since I left her little home, so I was a little worried that I'd come off as a boorish wench.

"Yes?" She replied after a pregnant moment of letting our echoing footsteps seep a hole into her pause.

"Where's Tromell? Shouldn't he be here?" I wondered, trailing behind her like a shadow. I bet she felt betrayed, that's why she wasn't talking to me . . . because I hadn't told her anything about the past two years. I was trying to protect her, but now I couldn't see the logic in that after all.

"He's visiting with Kimari and the Ronso. They still haven't completely accepted their past, so Tromell and other Guado hope to present them with an honorary obituary to those who died at Sey-" _mour's hands_, her unspoken words, "in combat," she changed at last minute. Shaking her head solemnly, probably to the remembrance of a would-be husband, she continued, "He let Tidus and the others use his palace as a meeting spot since they were all pretty close to Guadosalam. They would've held their meeting at another place, but this was most convenient and Tromell insisted." I hadn't asked, but she explained anyway. She wasn't like Paine, to which I was most grateful for. Yunie knew what you were thinking; what you wanted to hear, and when she didn't, she was subconsciously being modest. That's what I missed most about Yunie, I realized: you never had to withhold information from her, because she'd nod and understand with comforting eyes no matter what the words of disdain. So then . . . why was I holding back?

But I just said, "Oh," and nothing more. I was angry with myself again, yet before I could apologize to Yunie for my silent, stubborn refusal to talk about Gippal with her, we were there. It had been a long walk, and the corridors just seemed to stretch off like a lethe when I looked back into the black ink of oblivion from behind me, but the sight of Gippal nearly clenched my heart tight in two throbbing pieces of bloody tissue. If he felt the same way, he didn't show it, because he simply looked past me like I was an unsent that was to be ignored. That pissed me off, but I managed to look just as callous as he did while I strut past the quiescent Yunie into the dungeon, shadows flickering against cobblestone from the torches of blazing, conflagrant flames.

"I'm sure you're wondering as to why we've summoned you here today, Rikku," Nooj stated complacently, nodding for me to have a seat on one of the Guado's luxurious silk pillows large enough for two rumps. Yuna took her leave with a simple nod as well and backed out of the dungeon, footsteps fading in the past. Okay . . . what was going on here?

I dropped onto the middle of a scarlet pillow, opposite of Nooj and diagonal from Tidus, Baralai, and Gippal. We easily sat into a cut diamond, an emerald fire sparking illusionary ashes from a flame at the center of the diamond we made. It seemed to be placed there for mere decoration and warmth--the licking flames of emerald proven in recent years to warm a room better than an orange fire--but the significance was still there. This was definitely no normal meeting.

"Yeah, I'm wondering on a lot of things lately," I replied as I made myself comfortable in the warmth of the ritzy silk.

"We assembled the meeting here today in order to establish guidelines of the alliance between our organizations, but you were an added bonus," Nooj went on, "After discussing with Gippal on this recent turns of . . . events, it is good that you showed up out of the blue today so that we could get this over forthwith."

"Get this over forthwith . . . wait, what are you going to do?" I asked cautiously, limbs ready to spring if they had to.

"Gippal," Nooj directed his attention towards him, "we need to know."

Gippal's forehead was moist with perspiration, face pale and chalky from his usual golden tan. This was conspicuous, especially since the last I glanced over at him his complexion was a handsome gold . . . yeah; this was too conspicuous for my taste.

"Umm, I think I heard Yuna call my name," I said with bated breath, my body upright and erect before I could even acknowledge the strain of my muscles.

"Rikku, we will sedate you if we must. Gippal, do it," Nooj ordered, a strict frown of the brows glaring towards Gippal.

"I . . . can't," he mustered, forcing himself to focus his attention towards a cool wall; away from me. "She's too young . . . too innocent."

"Well that certainly didn't stop you from exerting your body on hers before, now did it?" Nooj asked with smite, his lips leering into a frown to match his forehead.

"_That wasn't me!_" Gippal hollered, pounding a fist onto the solid, impenetrable floor. If it pained him, he didn't show it, because he concentrated a vehement glare at Nooj, staring daggers his way. Nooj looked untouched.

"Nonetheless, we must sprinkle salt on the wound now. It's the only way to heal it," he replied with a calm reasoning, head nodding towards me. "Sit down, Rikku. Please, this is the only way to help Gippal."

My skepticism must have been apparent on my face, because Baralai spoke up for the first time that evening. "What we want Gippal to do is simple, Rikku. You see that orb of emerald flames before you? It is the Orb of Truth; or Flames of Virtue. It will expose the demon that lurks within Gippal, but first we need to trigger that spirit onto the surface. It seems the only way to do that is to . . . well, from what Gippal has told us, the demon only emerges when-"

"They want me to fuck you . . ." Gippal finished for him wryly, ". . . Cid's kid."

"Gippal!" Tidus spoke up, tone cross.

"Thank you for being so blunt about it," Baralai scolded.

"_What?_"I exclaimed, backing away too abruptly and tripping over the huge lump that was the pillow. Thankfully, I landed on edge of the cotton underlying the silk instead smack-down on the concrete floor.

"No, not _fuck _per say, but just sexually intimate enough to summon the beast that has possessed him. The Orb of Truth will activate and try to capture the demon within its glass," Nooj explained.

"And if it doesn't?" I demanded, biting my fingers into the pillow.

"Then we pull Gippal off of you and try to restrain him until the demon submerges again."

"No, I can't, I won't!" I clambered backwards in a crabwalk towards the exit.

"Gippal, now! Make haste! I know how uncomfortable this must be, so Baralai, Tidus, and I will be at a safe distance." Nooj motioned for Baralai and Tidus to stand alongside him as they hurried towards an opposite room swallowed in the flickering shadows of the dungeon-like closure. I stopped fumbling about the floor as soon as they were out of sight and whipped my head towards Gippal, wanting to ask more. But Gippal was no longer present. At the sight of my huffing, submissive posture, he prostrated himself to a come-hither, seductive crawl on all fours, head bowed towards the floor but a lone eye dark and brooding with desire. He was piercing a passionate glare through me. No . . . not again. I wanted _Gippal_, not some sex monster!

Feeling completely helpless, I charged a look towards the orb. It had activated a somber glow but not nearly strong enough to capture the demon within him. If I wanted Gippal back to his normal, arrogant self, I would need that orb's help . . . but how did it work? Did I need Gippal to touch it? Did I need to become more intimate in order to attract the flame's alchemy? I didn't know for sure . . . but there was only one way to find out.

I hoisted myself back on the comfort of the pillow and watched the muscles in his back compose with the swing of his hips and the slow steps of his strong but slender arms. He was dressed like a dominatrix with his bondage and leather molded to the form of his body, so it was obvious who would be the victim here. I was already wet for his touch.

"Humph, you seem very willing this time, my pulchritudinous darling," he purred, lifting his head to my neck when he got close enough, lips brushing against my jumping pulse. _Pulchritudinous? Doesn't that mean characterized as beautiful? Okay, so it was a sex monster with a huge vocabulary . . . great._

I said nothing, knowing no words could distract his interest and I certainly didn't want to provoke his already horny complexity, so I sat like a submissive and allowed him to trace his rough but gentle hands along my flat, milky stomach. He took my absent words as consent and nibbled the skin just above my vein, rubbing a slick tongue against the line of my neck. I shuddered and allowed him to lay me down against the large pillow, settling his knees on either side of my waist. He was hard already; his form pressing against my soft underbelly earnestly. He crawled down so that his lips met the material over my breasts. Grunting with satisfaction, he untied the lace at the nape of my neck and nimbly uncovered the bikini that covered them; then suddenly ripped the string off that held it in place at my back.

I panted with my eyes closed in ecstasy, urging him to continue with my willing body, but I knew there was a mission at hand. I forced my lids to peel open, marring my pleasure, and tried to concentrate on the orb just a few feet away from me. It was a luminous emerald, blaring against the ball of glass like a pulsing wound. I glanced over to the shadows where Nooj and Baralai had retreated, but a moan escaped my lips before I could do anything to stop it and my lids snapped shut again. Gippal was fingering the hem of my denim skirt, lips locked around a very hard nipple and flicking his tongue against it teasingly.

Why was he pleasing _me_? Shouldn't he be more concerned about fulfilling his own desires?

My thoughts were disrupted again as another panting, pathetic moan tickled my throat, urging the demonic spirit to slowly slide the end of my skirt up my waist. He was going to ruin another g-string of mine; which would probably be for the better since I'm in desperate need of normal undergarments, but his erection was what concerned me most. He unlocked his pursed lips around my nipple and moved his way up my chest again; leaving wet kisses along the way. As he made his journey upwards, a lone finger found its way under my bright orange g-string, slick inside of me and rubbing my wet, throbbing privates. I broke into shudders and forced myself to concentrate, desperately trying to ignore the immense pleasure pullulating south of my orgasmic heat. His finger slid along my pelvis lightly enough for me to squirm, breath caught in my throat as he found my bottom lip, nipping at it; enjoying my guilty moans. My lids fluttered open again, head twisted towards the pulsing orb of emerald vibrancy when he inserted a second finger, rubbing each side of my inner walls with a malicious grin.

My eyes flickered over to the shadows and right as I reached the peak of my orgasm, Nooj ordered with a candor hope, "_Touch the globe now!"_

Gippal whipped his head up violently, slamming my arm down to the cold concrete before I could even lift it and turned his head towards the direction from where the voice came from swiftly. His eyes were crimson red; passion, but they were fading. Before he submerged, he hissed, "I _will_ be back for what is mine. She _will_ bear my prodigy, and you will _not _interfere again." With that the spirit was gone again, finger still slick inside of me.

I cried in ecstasy for a pregnant moment before my orgasm passed in a painful, pleasurable manner. My body went slack with the colossal satisfaction, Gippal collapsing on top of me. One thing was for sure: my body; my desire could not wait until this demon claimed me and my thirst for sweat and sex once more.

_oooooooooooooooooooo_

"He has refused to see you," Yuna told me as I lay on her bed, limp with shame. It had been hours since I last saw Gippal, groaning and wet with his cum leaking from his undone pants onto my leg. When and how he had undone it during my moaning, I wasn't sure, but all I knew was that once the situation had crossed his mind with acknowledgement, he clambered off of me faster than an electrocuted chocobo. My face was scarred burgundy, and even though it was nightfall I still felt its burn.

"Does he feel . . . guilty? Is that why?" I asked quietly, furrowing my brows towards the wall. I was faced away from the others, lying on my side in fear of seeing the look on their sour faces. They were either upset that the plan hadn't worked or that they had provoked the plan at all. Either way, I felt utterly awful in general about the whole situation. I especially felt sore for surprised Gippal, who found himself lame on my body and finger pressed against my wet pelvis.

"Yes, I would suppose that's the only logical answer," I heard Paine muse, heels clicking against the floor away from my bed.

"He hid himself in shame in one of the dungeon rooms, huddled in a corner. I never saw Gippal so . . . helpless," Tidus sighed, walking towards the door of the bedroom as well. "You can stay here tonight, Rikku. Feel free to stay as long as you want."

"Yes, get some rest," Yuna added softly, patting my pale shoulder with a warm flame of courage. I didn't reply, only thought of the agony Gippal must have been trying to suppress. He went into it unwillingly. He never would've wanted any of this to happen, especially to have a demon spirit sexually-assault me! But I still wanted to see him again . . . to reassure him that I was still alright. It was my entire fault . . . I shouldn't have sought Gippal out from the start at all!

Yuna was at the doorway when she added as a last note, "Oh, and your friend is out of the infirmary. We offered to let him stay in the guest room but he insisted upon one of the local inns." After I didn't reply, she sighed, "Rest peacefully," and left.

As I lay there, I realized something . . . I was tired of being helpless and to be bed bound and woefully thinking of all of my and Gippal's problems. If I wanted to get anything done, I'd have to do it myself, and to solve anything requires the first step. There were too many questions to be answered to just lie in bed and think on them. There was Rikya, the whole Gippal deal, the new Gullwings, Paine's problems, Spira . . . everything!

I swung my feet to the side of the bed and planted them firmly on the floor. My eyes indignant and body pursuit on a personal mission, I stormed towards the exit and ignored the others' stares. "I'm going to go fix my problems!" I told them as I slammed the front door behind me, not looking back for a moment.

The thing was, once I was outside, I didn't know where to start. The image of a wounded and groaning Rikya trickled into my thoughts like acid rain. It satisfied me to know that he was still in more dire pain than Gippal or I, and since he was injured he probably had little ability to try and harass me again. That was comforting. I walked down the bare pathway, kicking a few pebbles along the way as I looked about the city in wonder. Guadosalam really had evolved the last I'd been there in a dramatic way, where machina left a big impression. There were probably twice as many inns than before, but Yuna mentioned that Rikya was residing in a local one.

I got to a crossroads when I spotted the Mansion of Maesters just a few roads down, the city silent for the starry night's slumber. It was incredible at night; lit up like a kindled string of small bright bulbs. At the entrance stood guards and a solicitor, nodding off every moment or so from grogginess. Nooj, Baralai, and Gippal were to spend the night there and hope to figure out a plan for the next day to come . . . if they could get either Gippal or me to cooperate again. Hopefully they strategize a different tactical maneuver of plan to drain the spirit that was possessing Gippal. Because they had the Orb of Truth, though, they managed to get a decent scope of the demonic spirit at hand even if not much information was attained. At least it was something, and what the spirit told us was definitely substantial enough for Shinra to make a basic analysis of its purpose.

Just a few paths down were the first inn of Guadosalam, the very inn we stayed at on our past missions to rest and rejuvenate. Maybe Rikya was there . . . I had a better shot there than searching amongst the many other convenient inns plotted around the expanded city. I began heading down the sloped road, when I heard a voice hiss words outside the Mansion of Maesters.

"Your shifts are lifted; take your leave for the night," somebody ordered the guards outside of the elaborate and luxurious building. My instincts took over and I crouched low to the ground, taking a suitably sized bush for cover and ears intent on the conversation that was about to take place.

"You may reveal yourself now; it's naked to my eyes." It was Baralai! Did he mean me?

As I sweat, I was about to up and confess when another voice distorted my thoughts. "Must you make a scene outside of the Mansion of Maesters?"

"There was no place else that wouldn't have keen ears intent on listening, Paine." Wrong-o . . .

"Humph, and people say _I'm _paranoid," Paine scoffed, twisting her bamboo stick onto the paved entrance.

Baralai shook his head. "I know that Nooj is vying for your attention again."

"Well, aren't we blunt today?" She blushed faintly, turning her head away from his stubbornly.

"Don't play dumb. He kissed you, didn't he?"

A pregnant silence. Paine's blush brightened.

"That's answer enough for me," Baralai muttered scornfully, putting his back to her abruptly and attempting to walk back into the mansion.

"Wait, Baralai!" Paine reached out, brushing his shoulder with her fingertips lightly. "Look, I . . . I pulled away. I don't _want _Nooj, I want _you_. He has Leblanc!"

"Then you should know well that he and Leblanc had a quarrel and that's why he's toughing it out here now. I know you're attracted to him and that you were in love with him back when. I could and can see it in your eyes. I . . . I'll respect your decisions," he sighed, shrugging her pale white hand off and disappearing into the building with abrupt speed.

Paine's shoulders rose from tension, her hand squeezing the end of the bamboo stick with tenacious strength until her arm shook. Her anxiety staunched for a moment, head cranked towards my concealed body.

_She knows I'm here! _I panicked, wondering if I should play dumb, run away, or apologize. But . . . I noticed this hurt look lurking about her eyes. _Does she really love both Baralai and Nooj?_ It was a brief moment before she startled her body to react with alertness again, strutting down the street away from me with a poorly hidden tear.

_oooooooooooooooooooo_

"Is Rikya . . . Rikya . . . what the hell is his last name," I mused, furrowing my brows as I rolled my eyes towards the ceiling, lost in thought as the receptionist glared at me impatiently. I shook my head and asked again, "Is there a Rikya registered?"

The aging man with feathered white hair referred to the registry book briefly. It was odd . . . the older parts of Guadosalam refused to cooperate with machina alike the inn I was in. It would have been much simpler and less time consuming to just use a computer to log in all of the information, but they stuck firmly to their roots. Nothing had changed in the original parts of the city.

His head bobbed back up, pushing his bifocals up the bridge of his nose. "Yes, he is in room five. Should I call for him?" He rasped.

I wondered . . . _it'd be a lot easier and less risky to just have him come out here, but then again it wouldn't be as private and he is still injured after all_. "Um, well, I was wondering if I could just go to his room. I'm . . . with him," I hesitated, debating over whether I should just say I'm his girlfriend or not.

"Ah, I remember now," the old man's brows rose, fumbling under the desk into a drawer to fetch something. "The young man mentioned something about his girlfriend coming later in the night and that she'd need a key." He pulled out a keychain attached to a bronze key and the symbol of the inn's advertisement logo. "I'll presume you are said girlfriend?" The old registry man asked.

"Yep, that's me!" I beamed, snatching the keychain from his weak, wrinkled hands. "Thanks!" Before he could return the gesture, I bounded off down the hall leading abruptly to the sixth room. I pushed the key into the lock but found that it was already open. Right as I pushed the door ajar and stepped inside, Rikya was apparent like a spot of black ink on a white apron. The room was like the engine room back on the Celsius: hot, humid, and not to pretty on the eyes or nose.

"Hmm, I knew you would come," he drawled in a milky seduction; tingling my ears with an enchanting allure, but I wasn't about to be taken. Rikya was huddled in the corner of the room away from me, wrapped in his black, velvet cloak like a frightened doe in hiding atop the stiff bed. I would've awed at the innocent sight, but knowing that it was Rikya lead me to feeling a little zoned out.

"Why are you huddled like that under your cloak?" I asked after hesitating on my words, shutting the door from behind.

"I'm cold, and these flimsy sheets are algid," he replied, shivering and letting his lids close lightly. His entire body, although concealed from the cloak, was shuddering . . . but from the cold? It was the middle of summer and the night was humid, not to mention he had the fireplace spitting ashes all over the ugly rug.

"But . . . how can you be cold?" I asked, befuddled as his teeth chattered. He looked paler than ever before, lips a faint, pearly pink and skin a filmy white.

"Maybe now," he bit his bottom lip as he paused in an attempt to cease his shivering, "I can tell you why I need your help. Or are you going to be as unaccommodating as in the past?"

I shook my head and furrowed my brows, taking a seat on the firm, warm bed after chucking the keys onto an oaken side-table. Was I actually worried about Rikya? _Ha, yeah, and hell froze over, which must explain why he's freezing in this heat._

"Good," he smirked weakly. All of a sudden, he was on top of me, cool, bare body pressed against my own. He was . . . naked! As I lay there in shock, he wrapped the cloak around us both and rubbed his cheek against my shoulder; hair falling in dreads like a hasty nightfall. "Oh," he moaned, "you're skin is so warm . . ."

"Wha-what are you doing? _Get off of me, pervert!" _I demanded, thrashing under his dry, brumal body. His torso practically covered my own, bare legs wrapped around mine in a cowering pose. _What the hell does he think he's doing?!_

"No . . . you must let me rub my skin against yours. It is a fine intimacy, one that parallels my needs," he explained, curling his fingers around my stunned wrists as to restrain them.

"_What?" _I exclaimed with eyes wide and confused as he nuzzled my neck. His body left a sharp, cold sting against my own. He was warming up by little, but by far.

"I am an incubus . . . I _need _sex. I cannot help it."

"_No!_ Get off of me!" I yelled shrilly, but before I could protest further he clamped his pasty hand around my mouth to silence me.

"I need your assistance to help me find my succubus. She was stolen from me, and we need each other to survive. Our love is very mutual and can receive sex from others to revive ourselves, but by barely. We are . . . soul mates, you could say, and I'm already feeling the toll of her absence," he told me, voice soft and hushed into my ear. It was soothing and let my body relax somewhat, but it was still on the alert.

"What are you talking about?! Why do you need me? Do you need to have sex with me?" I asked in bewilderment, eyes round and bright.

"Not tonight . . . but soon. If our bodies . . . our souls don't meet again, my succubus and I could both very well die in a matter of days. If you were by my side . . . I could survive weeks. Please . . . I need your help. I just need your warmth now. A simple kiss could relieve me of my slow disintegration . . ." His lips brushed against my cheek, tickling my skin as he made his way near my mouth. I couldn't stop him. Did I feel bad? Did I actually believe him? All I knew was that his body was calling out to me in help . . . and my body replied.

Our lips met and molded together in unison, passion straddling our waists. He nipped my bottom lip and cried out in a low moan . . . was it pain? I felt his length press against me, and although it should've been awkward since his was exposed, it only continued to excite me. Rikya let his fingers fall limp on my wrist as he urged his tongue inside my open mouth, so I snuck my hand along the long expanse of his pale body and in between us. My fingertips met his length and his body tingled, thrusting his waist towards my hand in earnest heat. I began massaging him slowly, locking our mouths together and snaking our wet tongues to earn an encouraging gasp from him. The friction between us began at a nauseating rate as I continued to pump him into an orgasm, his body warming up with each hot slide of slick skin. Our kisses became less frequent and constant as we panted, eyes shut closed in ecstasy. Our hot tongues met every other second or so, sliding along the tips and building up sweet saliva between loud, needing pants. His feminine waist was humping against my own, pushing himself against my hand into a desperate frenzy. His eyes were squeezed shut as his skin sweat slick bullets, mouth gaped and eyes squeezed shut to concentrate on his amounting pleasure. Pathetic noises escaped my mouth as he rode against me, his moans overlapping mine in a low, orgasmic cry. He was a bulge that my fingers could hardly wrap around by the time he was ready to release.

He cried out, back arching as I milked him into my lap. My hand was wet and sticky, but I didn't care. Only his pleasure mattered at that moment. He came for a good moment, body slowly relaxing as the last bit of cum ran down my legs. That was the second time that day I got milked on. Rikya collapsed on top of me, my hand slipping to my side and away from his soft, tender parts as our bodies calmed and cooled down. My senses came back to me in a dragging manner, brows furrowing in mental ferocity as he snuggled against my hot skin; his braids a sheet of black encasing our bodies. He was no longer cold; far from it, in fact, and adding to the pool of sweat we were dripping onto the bed.

"Mmm," he moaned, satisfied, "that was nice. _Very _nice."

"I'm glad," I said, voice faint, "now get off of me."

"Oh, but this position is so comfortable. We could sleep like this together," he mumbled into the crook of my neck, kissing my jaw line teasingly.

"Get off of me now or I'll knee your tidbits," I growled, brushing my fingers under a mount of his shiny, black braids and yanking his head back sharply. He hissed as his back arched, his waist putting pressure against my own body as he found my wrist again and tore it away from his scalp.

"Naughty, naughty," he tusked, planting both of my wrists on the bed behind my head, "I'd like to propose a compromise, but if you are going to be so hasty and rude with your actions, I'll _take _what I want. Got it?"

"Start talking," I warned, eyes narrowing and lips frowning to a grimace.

"As I've said, I need to find my succubus. I need your help, simply because you are an ex-Gullwing and can access places no other can for your reputation. You are also quite . . . feisty. My body chose you, which was the profit of what just happened right now," he explained, face too close for comfort. We began to cool off little by little, but it was still dreadfully hot in the room so there was no hope in completely drying. I finally noticed his pale, ghostly white chest and the subtle abs underlying his skin; his nipple still retaining the small silver ring. His features were definitely feminine, but just muscular enough to look like an ideal body.

"Yeah, that was no simple kiss," I scoffed.

He chuckled; lashes fluttering closed then opened again to give me an innocent leer. "My body called to you in help . . . in need. That is the power of the incubus. The primitive definition is a creature that has sex with women as they slumber, but we are far more sophisticated than that. You have felt the call of an incubus before . . . I can feel it, but it isn't me."

I wondered on that for a moment, but shook my head and asked, "So you mean to tell me that my _body _wanted to help you? What about that succubus you were talking about?"

His smirk faltered. "The sphere on the Celsius is one I took of my succubus and I having sex. It was intended to be used as blackmail against her; she hates being what she is, says it makes her feel like a whore, so I thought I'd have that little bit against her. The thing is . . . the day before she disappeared, she found the sphere and recorded a new bit to it and gave it to her sister, Marigold." _Marigold _. . . _the new Gullwing! _"I know my succubus . . . she must have left a hidden clue in the sphere. _Something _that would hit as to where she has gone and I need that information. All would be peachy except that Marigold hates me, and would never help me find her . . . even if it meant her sister's death," he concluded, continuing to nuzzle my warm neck as he let his hands fall away from my bruised wrists.

"So, you want me to get that sphere for you? What else; have sex with you until you find her?" I asked skeptically in plain disgust.

"Not quite. Like I've said, you have access to otherwise restricted areas and my body chose you for the time being. It will help me retain a healthy state if you are by my side. If you help me . . . I promise to help you in whatever conflict that arises."

"You're being awfully agreeable, Rikya. I don't think I can trust you to keep your word," I told him, cranking my head away from his lips. He let out a long, exasperated sigh and lifted himself up to balance on his elbows, staring down at me with a queer sincerity.

"Trust me on this. I know I may come off as a flirt, but I keep to my word. Besides, it might be the heat that's twisting my head, but I know I can trust you, too," he said, his hair draping around our heads.

"Look, we can talk about this tomorrow. It's late and I need to go back to Yuna's . . . and I need you to get off of me so that I can clean up," I replied in a tired tone, rubbing my temples but then regretting it. My hands were still white and sticky.

"I can't let you do that," he mumbled into my shoulder, nibbling on the skin tenderly.

"And why not?" I demanded, forcing his head away from my shoulder.

"I need you to sleep with me tonight; to be familiar with your body. It will help me--and you, rejuvenate. Sex is a marvelous intimacy, and that alone will help you cope with . . . well, for example, Gippal," he purred, trailing his lips down to the curve of my half-exposed breast.

"Look, I don't need this right now, Rikya. I've-"

"_Please stay_," he . . . pleaded? Was he being sincere for once? "I need you here. I promise to not make a move on you during your sleep. I'm just . . .," he sighed, "afraid of being alone again. I don't want to have to strip down to nothing to realize that I'm going through another compulsion from lack of sex. That's why I have my cloak with my at all times, even during the heat. Incubuses slowly and painfully freeze to death if we do not feel to warmth of another. Please stay."

The way he said it was so . . . pathetic. I pitied him, because I've never seen Rikya act this way before. It was sick . . . and I didn't want to have to see him plead like that ever again. I thought I'd like the sound of him pleading, but I was wrong. I guess even Rikya, an around the clock horny sex demon, had a soul.

"Okay," I faltered, as Rikya yawned deeply into my ear.

"You can clean up tomorrow," he mumbled into my neck, lids heavy. I was about to protest, but my body reacted with his in an instant. He was tired, so I was tired. _This had better be temporary_, I mentally sighed as our bodies began to exhaust with each shallow breath. He wrapped his long arms around my body as we began to make ourselves comfortable, one of his legs lying lazily over my sticky lap. We didn't mind the sweat, cum, and smell or at least our desire didn't. I didn't know what was becoming of me . . . was I really this attracted to Rikya? I hated him, but as we slept soundly, I realized that I didn't hate him. I had just misunderstood him. It must have been awful . . . to have to succumb to your desire like an empty hunger; not satiated and always ridden by your ecstasy. It also felt like I was cheating on Gippal with him and Rikya with his succubus, but this was much more primitive than that. An incubus had called to me before . . . how could that be? Was I sinking into the clumsy despair of my own need for sex and somebody else's warm touch against hot skin?

Maybe I was going crazy. But whatever the reason, I let Rikya sleep with me into a sound slumber. It felt so nice . . . being needed.

_oooooooooooooooooooo_

I dreamt of Rikya as a young boy. He scolded as Gippal and I--around the ages of twelve and eleven--ran down the avenue in pursuit of Brother. Brother had gotten a new machina toy and we wanted to check it out, while Rikya was left behind alone. He looked down to find himself hard . . . his first erection. Trying to conceal himself, he tore his gaze away from me and averted his attention to the ground. The incubus inside of him was already peaking out, wanting a bit of my flesh. Nothing could prevent this need from coming true and he knew it. _You'll fuck her; make her squeal_, the incubus inside of him cackled, _and you'll enjoy it. Don't forget who you are, Rikya. _

The dream faded and I awakened, hearing a faint click of the door. The light streaming into the room was peeking from behind thin material; an apparent bright glow barely faded by the dark curtains. Rikya had a pale arm secured around my stomach, still sleeping as he rested his head at the crook of my neck. My head felt heavy but will rested; it had to have been late in the morning. Rikya's black braids had fallen in random spots across my body, tickling my skin lightly.

What was that dream about? Was that a memory of Rikya's? There's no way I would've dreamt it up otherwise . . . of his first erection. How quaint.

Rikya startled at my back, yawning from deep within his throat. _Gross, morning breath_. I could feel his cheek muscles tug into a smile at my throat as he cuddled into my body, hugging my stomach against his torso. "Good morning," he breathed.

"I . . . don't think it's morning," I replied, voice weak from awakening.

His head nodded towards the window. "Mmm, yes, must be the afternoon," he replied, resting his head back down. "I don't want to get up," he added as he pulled me tighter against him.

"Well, hate to break it to you, but we're not a couple, and the others are probably worried about me," I pointed out, trying to pry his arm away from my stomach but to no prevail. He had a good grip-hold and I often forgot the strength he possesses.

Rikya opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a sudden pound on the door. When the intruder realized that the door was unlocked, he swung it open; almost tearing it off its hinges and stormed inside. Rikya and I startled and sat up as Gippal tore across the room, eye fixated on my temporary lover. I crawled across the bed hastily on my rump, eyes wide and terrified as I saw a wild look in Gippal's own, pulling his arm back and landing a quaking blow Rikya's way. Rikya blocked it and grabbed Gippal's arm, twisting it back violently and quickly standing his bare feet onto the floor. He was completely naked but he didn't care; defense was at stake but Gippal had the advantage . . . though not for long.

"_You fucking bastard!" _Gippal hollered, but I knew it wasn't at the sharp pain in his arm. They were both about the same height but Rikya still managed to tower over him, twisting his arms into a deadlock at Gippal's back. Gippal knocked his head backwards and hit Rikya's forehead, leaving him stumbling from behind. He began to stalk towards him as Rikya was rubbing his head back to feeling. I had to do something.

"Stop it, Gippal!" I shouted, climbing off of the bed and rushing to step in between Rikya and Gippal. I faced Gippal with my arms outspread, he giving me a bewildered look as if it were the first time he had acknowledged me that afternoon.

"You two--you two had-" he stuttered when I interrupted him.

"No, we didn't! We didn't have sex! I had to sleep with him, though! He could've died!" I cried, shaking my head as Gippal's body tensed.

"How do you explain that, then?" He demanded, jabbing a finger at my lap. I looked down and realized that Rikya's cum had crystallized on my legs; crusty and grotesque.

I shook my head stubbornly again, "It's not like that!"

"Listen to her, Gippal," Rikya spoke in his milky voice, stepping up to my back to conceal his lower parts from Gippal. "I would've loved to fuck her, but it never got that far. I'm a sex demon . . . and I should hope you know how that is, and what it is. You are possessed by an eidolon incubus, Gippal. I can sense it."

Gippal and I froze in our footsteps. His shoulder's hunched with knowledge . . . had he known? What was an eidolon incubus? I had to know.

"What . . . what's an eidolon incubus?" I asked, voice soft as I let my arms rest my side, head turning to catch a glimpse of Rikya. He didn't look my way, but continued.

"I can help you better understand it and how to control it. I owe your beloved a favor . . . but I'm going to have to borrow her for the meantime, I'm afraid," he explained, a smirk playing about his lips. He wasn't exactly being himself . . . but I guess it'd be walking into the lion's den to be himself around Gippal's furious state.

"What . . . what do you mean? Get away from Rikku!" Gippal's voice rose, grabbing my arm and yanking me towards his warm body.

"I'm also afraid," Rikya continued to smirk away, posing his beautiful, naked body for us, "that Rikku is no longer yours."

_oooooooooooooooooooo_

_A/N: Oooh, the suspense! ...Yes, I know uu. I've been absent for about two months or so, but I have a very good explanation as to why! First off, they took the laptop out of my room since the family computer crashed (I type on a laptop). The computer and laptop both got serious viruses and my dad had to wipe out EVERYTHING on both PCs, that including my back-up files for The Eidolon Incubus. Thankfully, I have them saved onto a disk, but I was still set back a while because of the shock of losing everything else that I had written in the past. During all of that was the first day of school--home-schooling for me--and I was caught up in a web of confusion, but now things have settled down. Following that was the week I spent in Florida on the Disney Cruise Line with my relatives and family because my Grandmother on my mom's side has a serious case of cancer (cancers, I should say) and could pass away any day now. That was the BEST vacation I have ever been on and I'd highly recommend it to anyone who would like to go on a pricey cruise-line. We didn't pay for it, however; my Grandma did, so it was all peachy keen! When we got back I found out that my mouse has died (aww, I know, but I'm okay now), and we STILL haven't buried her! I feel so awful! Welp, other than that is the elections coming up next week and my family is sincerely concerned about it (but I won't get into politics right now)._

_Other than that, how are you? I've been busy . . . but I haven't been, if you know what I mean. Well, you probably don't care anyway XD, "Gimme sex!" I am very pleased with this chapter and hope you liked it, although it is a bit shorter than usual. Any questions? Concerns? I'm at if you'd like to contact me! You can hold me up on this, though: I will finish this fanfiction one day. I want to! I hope I do, anyway. So hope you have a nice week and a spoooky Halloween! (Ha, I'm corny.)_


	7. Where have all the stars gone?

_A/N: There will be Al Bhed in this chapter and I will not have convenient translations repeating what the words are and mean. Please find an Al Bhed translator accessible beforehand--a good link is in my profile won't allow me to include links)_ _, which is a simple translator engine. Thank you!_

_oooooooooooooooooooo_

Chapter VII: Where have all the stars gone?

_oooooooooooooooooooo_

"What the hell are you talking about?" Gippal demanded, wrapping both arms around me protectively. I tried with all my might to distract my eyes from Rikya's cock, but I hadn't even noticed when I was 'helping' him before how large it actually was. It frightened me a bit--what if he had actually gone all the way with me on my first time? I would've bled through the mattress . . . maybe even pass out. Guess I wouldn't know though, since my cherry had yet to be popped.

"Hmph, you know exactly what I'm talking about," Rikya scoffed, stooping to the floor where he had tossed his clothes when stripping before I had come. He nitpicked through the pile of black material and found his leather pants, closely resembling the pair Gippal had on. Well, they definitely couldn't say that I was attracted to Rikya's style in place of Gippal's; that was for sure.

As Rikya wormed a leg into the toilsome leather; no underwear beforehand as I had suspected, Gippal spat, "What, do you mean my-"

"I mean the eidolon incubus that has possessed you," Rikya spoke matter-of-factly, taking a seat on a wicker chair to try and force the leather up his muscular thigh. His body was hairless except for his scalp, eyebrows, and pubic . . . was that a perk to being an incubus? Or did he just shave and wax? No, he didn't strike me as the kind of guy who would go out of his way to rid his body of pesky hair, but then again this was Rikya we were talking about.

"What's an eidolon incubus?" Gippal asked, lowering his tone from a threatening level. Was he finally going to be reasonable about it?

"I think you already know the basics--I can smell that nagging knowledge about you," Rikya looked up and gave him an innocent look. "But if you'd like to learn more of this phantom sex demon; which is what that means, you're going to have to cooperate with Rikku and me."

I pried Gippal's arms away from my body urgently, wanting to face him. "Rikya says that he can help you, being an incubus himself, under one condition: I have to help him. We're not going to have sex; he just needs me to help him find his girlfriend!"

"Succubus," Rikya corrected, "I think she'd be rather offended if anybody referred to her as my girlfriend."

"You're not helping," I muttered though gritted teeth, beaming Gippal an honest smile. He still seemed skeptical, so I continued, "I'm just going to help him: nothing more, nothing less." I glanced over to Rikya and saw him give me a smug look. I wasn't telling the entire truth, but I could tell that he wasn't going to add more to it. His lips were sealed . . . for now

"Nothing sexual?" Gippal raised a brow, placing his hands firmly on his hips. "How do you explain that then?" He nodded downwards towards my lap. Crap, I forgot.

"That was an accident!" I claimed in desperate persistency.

"Why are you defending him, Rikku?" Gippal asked, shaking his head in shaken grief.

"I think the real question here, mate," Rikya interrupted, standing after finally fitting his leather pants into place. The hem was lined right below his hip bones, a sneak of black pubic hair trailing from his bellybutton downwards. The glint of his piercing caught my eye, a pale nipple hard from the verbal excitement, but I forced myself to look away. If Gippal caught me checking Rikya out now, it was over. "-is why you are so protective of Rikku when you two aren't even a couple? Is it the sexual tension that's getting to you? You want to keep grown-up Rikku all to yourself when she isn't even yours to begin with? I guess you've forgotten to share."

"Shut-the-fuck-up. You haven't changed since we were kids. I don't need your damned help," he declared, fists shaking with fury. I touched his forearm to ease his anger and I guess it was my presence that calmed him.

"Suit yourself, but Rikku's already agreed to help me. Like I've said, she belongs to neither me nor you. That sex spirit has claimed her now; I'm sure you're aware," he shook his head lightly, a cute pout distorting his dark image. He stooped to pick up his silky shirt with the oriental designs etched into it when Gippal spoke with a reasoning voice once more.

"I'll do it for Rikku . . . I don't want her to be hurt anymore," he said, eyes shadowed with shame.

"Ha, yes, 'hurting'," Rikya laughed, pulling the shirt over his head and tugging the long braids out from beneath it carefully. I glanced over to him, analyzing his intentions carefully with my eyes. He was apparently amused by all of this, but he wasn't going to spit anymore of his obnoxious babble further.

There was a knock at the door; thankfully, Rikya was no longer bare and naked. Yuna poked her head around the corner in a demure manner, stepping forward when she realized that the scene had calmed. She looked sorrow and pensive, hands clasped at her backside when she spoke, "Cid has called for you and Gippal at Zanarkand." She said this to me; probably most comfortable referring to me than the other two.

I nodded, chagrined to find that she caught eye of my legs. I needed to clean-up. "I'm taking a shower," I announced, heading for the small bathroom of the inn's room.

"I'm afraid Cid's message is to make haste," Yuna told me, eyeing the other two and bowing timidly before taking her leave.

Rikya noted my grimy state and offered, "I can clean that up for you," flicking a long, pink tongue between his teeth.

Fortunately Gippal hadn't caught sight of that and told me, "Clean up quickly, Cid's Kid. Your dad'll get pissy if we don't hurry." He was calling me Cid's Kid again! Did that mean that he wasn't mad anymore? I'm sure there was still a spark of skeptical anger within him, but at least it wouldn't be as awkward as it could've been.

"I'm coming too," Rikya claimed undauntedly, "for safety precautions." That silky chuckle of his flamed a conflagrant torch within Gippal again. Damn it, Rikya . . . he would never learn when to shut his trap.

_oooooooooooooooooooo_

I had wiped my legs clean and freshened up a bit by the time we were ready to board the Celcius. It was hovering somewhere above the Moonflow since the Thunder Plains were inaccessible to flying aircrafts; the force field conducted to prevent any more deaths from being struck by lightening caused hazardous to the airship. Gippal stood away from Rikya towards me; still unforgiving but wanting the 'Crow'--as he liked to call Rikya since we were kids--to keep his claws away from me. Rikya didn't seem to care or notice for that matter, merely admiring the broad red metal reflecting against the shimmering sun hung in the sky like a still ornament. It was another dreadfully humid day and I still couldn't believe that Rikya and I had slept for so long, but the cool wisps of air from the gentle forest calmed our sweat glands. Yuna and Tidus had offered to escort us (Paine, Nooj, and Baralai being out of sight) regarding my current situation with Rikya, but Gippal rejected their offer and decided to keep a careful, dead eye on Rikya and me like we were a morsel of prey. Tidus seemed especially concerned for me and I wondered why.

Rikya watched as my face faltered in curiosity, fingers laced behind his head as his elbows were stuck outwards in parallel, and asked as if I had already told him what was concerning me, "Who had warned you that we were in the inn?" The question was directed to a startled Gippal. I gave him a bugged eye and mouthed for him to shut-up out of Gippal's radar, but Rikya just smirked with amusement. I guess he wanted to know just as much as I did.

"Yuna was worried when Rikku hadn't returned that night. She sent a search party out 'til the afternoon when she told Tidus to go look around the local inns, and there he found you two," he replied with a civilized smite, darting his eyes back to Rikya and then onto me.

_"Tidus?" I_ exclaimed, stopping in my tracks as I took a mental blow to my head. _No, no, no . . . this is awful! Why couldn't Paine have found me, or even Yuna? Then I could at least talk to her about it! But Tidus?_ I thought with a stricken look in my eye, my hands fisted together at my chin. I knew I had heard a click of the door before awakening! He must've been shocked to see a grown man naked in bed with me, a strong arm snaked around my stomach and head nestled next to mine, tendrils of black braids falling around us like a raven's feathers . . .

_No, I shouldn't think about it,_ I thought with dismay, but I guess it had to have been somebody. Gippal wouldn't have come storming in if somebody hadn't told him first-hand, and that somebody was destined to be Tidus.

My head whipped to a sniggering Rikya, trying to muffle his laughs . . . was he actually smiling? He wasn't smirking with an arrogant complexity for once, he was honestly laughing at me. I felt my cheeks and they were burning burgundy, which didn't help since it was already hot enough outside as it were. They both had stopped to look at me as I stood frozen, my cheeks blazing with my mouth open in an _o_. Gippal didn't seem as amused . . . but I noticed a slight tug at the corner of his lips.

"I . . . I . . . well, this sucks," I stammered, my body going limp _as I_ hung my head in shame. I don't know why I was so stricken by hearing that Tidus had walked in on us first, but maybe it was because he was like an older brother to me. Not like infuriating Brother, but somebody you could trust and respect. Losing his respect hurt.

Gippal broke down to the ground, laughing in macabre. Rikya and I were both amazed, staring at him in perplexity. Gippal planted his gloved hands onto the dirt, his firm rear apparent and perfect through the tight leather. "This is fucked up," he laughed, turning his hung head towards me. "I shouldn't care. I shouldn't care that you're with that crow!" He proclaimed, leaning his butt back onto his ankles as he sat tall.

"I'm _not _with Rikya," I declared for the fifth time that day.

"I shouldn't care that you were in bed with him," he went on, ignoring me, "I mean after all, we broke up years ago. So why do I still care?"

I walked over to Gippal and knelt down next to him, stabbing a sincere look into his eyes with my own, "Can we please talk about this later, Gippal? Not in front of him."

"Oh no, I find this all rather amusing," Rikya scoffed with a returning smirk, "lover-boy is jealous. Jealous of me! Oh yes, I am loving this."

Gippal chose to ignore Rikya as well. "Rikku," he said in his most unfeigned tone, "I'll make it up to you. You ran to . . . _him_ when I was rejecting you."

"_I didn't run to_-"

"I'll make sure you don't end up with him, I promise," he interrupted, voice hoarse with an unrecognizable passion. He wasn't being himself; it had to have been . . .

"_Vnaawa!"_ Rikya shouted, sparking a flash of bright, argent light from his eye. I crab-walked backwards hastily as the light shot a film of electric energy around Gippal's body, his chest puffed out and head hung backwards, quivering. His whole body was shaking with the blinding light; his arms flung about as I shun myself from the white light. I peeked up at Rikya as the light faded, stunned to find that his eyes were a pale white of film with two fingers pressed against his forehead's temple in concentration.

"Najaym ouincamv, aetumuh," he demanded in Al Bhed, his face set in fine, serious lines.

Gippal's head shot back up with a sneer, an ardor fizzing around his ravishing body with complexity. "Oui drehg oui lyh ryns sa fedr cesbma ehlipic lremt'c bmyo?" He asked with a smooth cackle . . . but it was still of Gippal's. His eyes hadn't changed nor the tick in his voice. What as going on?

"Lruuca ouin funtc lynavimmo. Oui sicd pa cahd cuuh pavuna ouin ahdena cbened asputeac dra ouihk Kebbym. E'mm caa du ed dryd oui tu hud esbnakhyda Neggi fedr ouin caat," Rikya declared, jaw jutted outwards stubbornly.

"Cra vaamc so bimm ymnayto. Oui'na uhmo cdnahkdrahehk so mina yc muhk yc oui'na hayn yht tayn du ran, Ehlipic. Drana'c hudrehk oui lyh tu du cdub sa," Gippal cackled again, head highstrung and undaunted as Rikya shook his head.

"What's going on?" I demanded, heart jumping in its cavity as I stared indignantly towards the two. Gippal turned his attention towards me and raised his brows, licking his chops as he pounced on all fours again, crawling towards me with an earnest, seducting aura.

_"Bnudald!"_ Rikya echoed, eyes flashing another bolt of light inbetween Gippal and I, creating a force field. That didn't seem to worry him, because the next thing I knew he darted through the electric light and landed on top of my frozen body. The vibrant energy that Gippal had jumped through pulsed about his skin and tinged mine in a spark of dancing fire. I passed out with the image of a smiling, sinister spirit hovering above my dazing face. As he knelt down, a flicker of humanity surpassed his lone eye, whispering into my ear . . .

_E muja oui . . ._

_oooooooooooooooooooo_

My eye lids slid open but I was still asleep. I saw Brother arguing violently with Gippal . . . a fist being thrown . . . I was in the cabin room. I felt the comfort of the bed, but it was so cold. I felt chills run up my aching back. There was Buddy trying to separate the two, yet their shrill voices were so . . . distant. My eyes scanned the room with a pulsing headache, but Rikya was no where to be seen. A tide of distilling grogginess swept me away again, and I dreamt of dreams meant to be forgotten.

_oooooooooooooooooooo_

I couldn't help but notice the lights behind my lids when my mind finally came to. My body wished not to move so I opened my eyes to only find a creamy white ceiling above me. The room smelt of fresh paint and furnishes . . . where was I? Definitely not on the Celsius, that was for sure, and I was laying no where familiar. Could it have been an inn?

"Oh good, you're finally awake," an all too familiar voice regarded my stir. It took effort to turn my head to the side where the voice had come from. At my left, Rikya sat on a stool tipped against the wall to support his back. He shifted it onto all fours and turned in his seat to face me full on, the leather of his restricting pants crinkling against the friction.

"Where . . . am I?" I asked, feeling weak and faint. I hated feeling weak, especially under the will of a guy. Technically, I'd been saved from something unfortunate more times than I was comfortable with, and I wondered on the good ol' days when I kicked butt and didn't take crap from anybody. Had I really weakened?

"You're in Zanarkand," he replied with a lilt in his voice, standing to walk at the foot of my bed.

"Wait . . . what?" I asked; head too lacerated to balance the situation with thought.

"I was assigned to guard you," he declared with a pause, awaiting my reaction. My jaw had dropped and I sat up, body still tingling but suddenly awake. He chuckled with ironic amusement, continuing, "Yes, apparently Gippal is too dangerous to be around you any longer. He's being held in custody while in the infirmary because Brother did him in good, blood and bruises blooming every where. It was a beautiful sight."

"But . . . it wasn't Gippal!" I exclaimed, fisting handfuls of sheets below me.

"Rikku," Rikya furrowed his brows, his serious side peaking through once more, "I'm going to be honest with you." He stepped around the bed again to sit at my waist, lifting his ankle to his other knee while I searched the room for his cloak.

"First, where's your cloak? I thought you needed it at all times," I asked, scooting to the head of the queen-sized bed and away from him.

"I don't need it right now. I slept in bed with you to regain my energy," he stated honestly.

"You didn't do anything, did you?" I asked again with furrowed brows, my virginity apparent and innocent in my voice.

"No, I only touched your skin with my own. It will do for now . . . but my energy is draining by the moment. I need to make haste with finding my succubus, but first, Gippal. I tried protecting you with my abilities granted to me through the growth of my inner incubus. It wasn't enough, I'm afraid, to sustain Gippal," he explained, too sincere for comfort. "The spirit's powers are growing with rapid progression and it's overcoming your love, too much for him to bear. It is becoming him, and the last thread of humanity he has left is pursued upon you. He doesn't want to hurt you, I found, and his will seems to be strong enough to temporarily delay the eidolon from ejaculating inside of you."

"Wait, I don't get it. Why does this eidolon wanna impregnate me? Why am I so special?" I asked as I pulled my knees up to my chest, wrapping my arms around warm legs.

"It wasn't of the eidolon's choice. In Gippal's early stages, when the eidolon first possessed him, he subconsciously chose to come to you. He didn't want to tempt any other woman, maybe because you two have a history together. Whatever the reason, he didn't want to harm you, but wanted you all the same. In that, the spirit finalized his decision to pursue you and only you until his seed is planted," Rikya clarified.

"Um . . . well, wouldn't it be Gippal's seed instead of the eidolon's? And how is this spirit an incubus?" I was having difficulty comprehending this . . . there were too many pot-holes in Rikya's explanation.

"That's what that kid Shinra is trying to figure out. We Al Bhed have a theory that when the eidolon emerges and overcomes Gippal, his genetics change to those of the eidolon when he was human . . . about a thousand years ago around Zanarkand's prime time, they say. This spirit is old and evil, and died before having had a mate conceive his child. If he impregnates you . . . there's no way to abort a phantom's child. This kid'll be a mechanism for destruction no matter how you raise it, and could possibly be the next Sin. This is just what the Orb of Truth told the others, though, and the flames never lie. As for the incubus part . . . he possesses powers unknown to any incubus or succubus alive in today's age. He'll pass those abilities onto his child, and you won't be able to kill him when those powers become him in the womb," he concluded, passing a light shrug as if that wasn't a burden to be concerned with. I was flabbergasted; I wouldn't have been more shocked or panicked if you had nailed my feet to the floor.

I was quiet for a moment, allowing the empty noise of the room to settle into out drums, when another question came to mind. "You say 'he' like if I have his child, the gender'll be . . . erm, absolute. How are you so confident that it wouldn't be a girl?" I asked conspicuously, watching his brows enlighten in amusement.

"Shinra has a theory for that as well," he noted, "that maybe it won't just be the spirit's child . . . but the eidolon himself. The Al Bhed's intelligence group doesn't know for sure, I hear, so they told me to take you to see Shinra if you'd like to learn more. I'm sure he has concocted another conclusion by now."

I suddenly noticed the window past Rikya and found that it was nightfall already. Boy, these days sure were passing by. Unlike at the Bikanel Desert, you couldn't see the stars twinkling in the amethyst sky like suspended bulbs of bright eyes. Rebuilding Zanarkand meant more pollutions being emitted into the air, fogging up the pupil of the night . . . something I just wasn't ready to handle. Where have all the stars gone?

"I . . . ," I croaked, my ducts moist and welling up the slits of my eyes. "I just wanted everybody to be happy. But everybody's a mess . . . just like me," I rasped again, a knot tightening in my throat. I couldn't see Rikya anymore . . . tears were blurring my vision. I finally squeezed my lids shut and let the hot tears roll down my cheeks. Why was this happening to me? I wanted something new to happen in my life . . . not something destructive. I didn't want Gippal to hurt anymore, I didn't want Yuna and Tidus to lose respect for me, I didn't want Paine to be miserable with her past, I didn't want the Gullwings to be forgotten for a new trio, and even part of me didn't want Rikya to wither away. Death will free you and release your pain . . . but it'll then pass that pain onto the people who've cared about you most. Did something inside of me truly care for Rikya? Was I honestly worried for the miserable crow? Maybe I had too much heart to begin with.

I looked up, wiping the salt water away from my eyes with my fingers and clasped Rikya's awkward hand in my own. "Rikya," I spoke softly, voice shuddered from the sobbing, "I'm sorry. I never hated you . . . it's just that nobody understood you, and I'm sorry for that. People can be so cruel, and I think you and your succubus understand that most of all. I'll help you find her. I can't even imagine the grief she must be going through right now."

I watched as his body stilled and his expression falter to confusion. _Why is she sorry for me?,_ is what he must've been thinking. "You," he chuckled uncomfortably, "you're sorry for me? I don't need your pity, child."

"Please, Rikya, I'm only a year younger. And I meant what I said," I replied calming down after a brief weep. I felt . . . better. I had to stop distancing myself from people, and I just took the first step with him. "I want to face this eidolon again. If we're going to better understand this, I'm gonna need to toughen up," I assured, swinging my feet off the bed opposite of Rikya. Yep, I was pretty damned tired of feeling weak. I needed my dress-spheres back, no matter the obstacle. _People aren't evil_, I finally realized, nobody truly is. _They're just misunderstood. Alone. I can't blame that snob Linera for being a difficult person. I just don't understand why she's like that . . . now. I don't wanna be the person who points and laughs at somebody else just because they're different. Not now, not ever._

"You do understand the risks you're taking, right?" Rikya asked, sounding a touch concerned. "Gippal isn't himself in this stage."

"Exactly," I replied, taking a glance at a plain mirror on the wall to see if I still looked somewhat upset. "I need to help him, Rikya, and if you want me to help you, you're gonna have to take up your part of the bargain before anything else happens today."

I could feel him grimace at my backside, scowling . . . not knowing what to say after the little scene I had made. "Fine, but if Gippal tries to maul you again, I'm not going to jump the bullet this time," he warned, unaware that I wasn't planning on seeing Gippal first thing that night.

You know, I've also learned that all people are beautiful . . . but you've gotta scrape through a lot of scum before you can see that majestic beauty shine. Rikya was definitely no exception.

_oooooooooooooooooooo_

We were basking in the dusk of the laboring Al Bhed at work as Rikya and I headed towards the Intelligence Room; located in the building that held all the files and plans that were put forth into Operation Recreation. That was Shinra's, Pop's, and Gippal's home base, but I knew Gippal wouldn't be there that night. I bet he insisted upon getting back to work, but he was certainly in no position to be put back in charge, especially since his 'condition' was worsening. The Intelligence Room was filled with advanced computers and a gigantic database fit to store all of the information that was required and even irrelevant towards the mission.

We stared up as we faced the towering skyscraper, the expanding city drilling around us. It was evolving into a beautiful sight . . . it was like a twin of the original Zanarkand. Bright, neon lights filled the sky and the ground was paved a smooth, black cement. Deserted roads suspended high above others wove between buildings and hunched street lights, the thousands of Al Bhed workers scattered across the city at labor. When they needed rest they had a machina temporary replace their position, but they were mere helpers when it came to building and carrying heavy cargo. The designs were still being sketched for many sectors of the city, so you could easily estimate that the project wouldn't be at least close to done for many years to come. You can never really complete a city.

"Why are we here, again?" Rikya asked, yawning with a drowsy snarl.

"Buddy's here, I'm sure of it. This is the only other place he'd be besides the Celcius, and that's landed," I replied, opening the glass door and heading towards the desk. It surprised me how clean-cut and professional the tower stood, and although it was the first building rebuilt in Zanarkand, it was hard to believe that they managed to complete all of this in the span of two years.

"Why are we seeing him?" He asked again, following me from a close distance.

"I need to know where the new Gullwings are," I said with contemplation, flashing the receptionist at the main desk a polite smile.

"Oh, is that all?" He scoffed, stopping me in my tracks before I could reach the desk. "They're still here, in Zanarkand. After I went to retrieve my sphere and saw the little message my succubus left me, I demanded to speak with her sister. Apparently they're in the infirmary, checking in on Gippal. Shinzu told me half an hour ago," he continued, fishing under his cloak for a mute sphere.

"Oh . . . well, then let's-"

"Buddy, wait up!" A familiar ethnic voice called, dashing down the grand staircase. Buddy jolted towards the glass doors before Rikya or I could recognize his figure.

"Buddy?" I asked, loud enough to reach him.

As he pulled open the door, he flashed a glance over to us and nodded, shouting, "Something's going down in the infirmary! Gippal attacked Linera!" He sped out with that said; Shinzu slumped over his knees to catch his breath. He turned his head over to us, breathless.

"That mother-fucker can run! You guys coming?" He asked, panting with sweat moist at his hair line. I frowned, wondering how far up he had run from. The elevator was perfectly functional--maybe Buddy thought he could out-run it.

"Guess that answers your question," Rikya smirked with amusement, flapping open his cloak and returning the sphere somewhere beneath it again. I ignored Rikya and nodded enthusiastically towards Shinzu as he caught his breath, heading out the door quickly to catch up with his brother who had been long gone. I wanted to run, but Rikya apparently found it 'out-of-taste' to run when the situation would still be at bay by the time we got there.

So we walked. The infirmary wasn't too far a distance to travel and we had yet to discuss the sphere he had retrieved . . . so maybe that's why he wanted to stay behind. "Hmm," he pondered, "well isn't this night full of coincidences?"

"I'm beginning to think that my entire life is a coincidence," I replied with risen brows, a lack of bitterness in my voice.

He glanced at me and smiled as we walked between the busy workers and metal machina, heading down the bedraggled road. It was beautiful, and the buildings being constructed with a chrome glimmer were breath-taking, but what cities lack now is nature. The Zanarkand ruins have always been dead . . . but eternally alive with pyreflies aerial in the volar palm of time. You couldn't see the stars in Zanarkand or Guadosalam for that matter, and it . . . worried me. The air was crisp and chilly, but the drilling noises cinched our ears and helped us ignore the cold.

"Did you hear me?" Rikya asked, brushing the tip of his finger against my shivering chin, lifting it to see my teeth chatter. He frowned as I wrenched my chin out of his light grip, rubbing my arms against the wooly material of my long scarf. His brows furrowed and he attempted to take his cloak off for me, but I shook my head in irritancy.

"I don't need it; thanks," I assured, but as he readjusted his cloak, the sphere fell out and took a nasty tumble to the cement road, shattering in two.

"Shit," he muttered, stooping to pick it up hastily. He tried to connect the two together again, but slithers of it had fallen away and wouldn't work unless the sphere was whole again. "This is unfortunate," he sighed, sticking it back under his cloak as we approached the hospital steps.

"Well, you saw it already, right?" I asked, concerned.

"Yes, but who's to say I won't need it again?" Rikya said to no one in particular, swinging the door open for the both of us. I wasn't relishing in seeing Rikya have sex with a woman he didn't consider his true lover, so maybe it was for the better.

"Did I need to see it?" I questioned him, walking into the bright entrance of the infirmary. It was a small building, which had yet to be further constructed on, so it wouldn't be too difficult to find the room.

Rikya fell silent, head turned attentive to the right wing of the hospital. "Rikya?" I asked, stepping closer to his fading warmth. I looked into the direction he was leering at and widened my eyes to an irascible Marigold brewing a storm our way, eyes narrowed with a venomous glare at Rikya. Whoa, scary much?

"You, get out of here! You'll only aggravate the problem!" She barked, her voice itching from her usual calm words.

"I'm with the lover's girl," he protested in halcyon grievance, raising a thin brow.

Marigold whipped her head my way, I wincing from the animosity she was breathing. Her expression softened somewhat to seeing me, but her words were still tired. "What are you doing with this pig? Never mind it's none of my business, you seem to be the only one who can restrain him now. I wish you had come sooner," she urged, grabbing my wrist aggressively and leading--more like dragging--me down the path she had previously emerged. I shot Rikya a gall look for stalling with walking but followed Marigold regardless. It was like killing two birds with one stone.

"I shall wait for you, darling," Rikya dared call after us, unsure if he was saying it out of spite to Marigold or ironically to me. We darted down the white hallway; the bright, hospital lights blinding me so I had to rely on Marigold's lead. She kept quiet as we ran, head probably too full of worry to question me about Rikya and I was grateful for that. She stopped abruptly in front of a shut door, muffled screams echoing inside. Aphelia leaned against the opposite wall, tears streaming down her cinnamon skin. She was sniffling mucous and repeating in a low, vulnerable voice, "_Please help her, it's not her fault_."

"Inside Buddy and Shinzu are trying to restrain him on the bed, but he keeps on trying to attack Linera. She's huddled in a corner and refuses to move," Marigold told me, sea-blue eyes dark with a perturbed disposition.

"But . . ." I trailed off, face set in confused, atoned lines, "I don't know what I can do about it! I just came here to see Linera about my dress-spheres and every time Gippal and I get too close-"

"I know, and I'm sorry," she pleaded, grabbing ahold of my quivering shoulders, "but I believe you can help him! Shinra found a solution to help Gippal overcome the spirit, and what Gippal needs is you! We know he still loves you."

_"Yeah, that's why he attacked Linera!"_ Aphelia shouted in a disturbed passion, fists shaking at her sides and tears dripping to the tiled floor like the slow beat of a drum. A nurse was trying to calm her or escort her away from the scene, but Aphelia continued to violently shrug her off.

"Calm down!" Marigold commanded, quickly glancing her way and back to me. "Love is powerful . . . if you don't go in there now; Gippal will be lost in his own void. Summon pleasant memories . . . anything to unleash the true beauty within," she compelled me, letting her tan hands fall away from my shoulders and stepping back to let me open the sturdy door. The faint screaming continued . . . and I had a feeling they didn't belong to Linera or the two brothers.

I gulped, nodding my condolences to Marigold and giving Aphelia a pitying look. _She must really care for Linera, _I thought in empathy, reaching for the handle and pushing the door open with sweaty palms.

_"Rikku, get out of here, are you crazy?"_ Buddy demanded, muscles tensing as Gippal struggled savagely, thrashing against the bed. He restrained Gippal with all his might at his shoulder, thumping up randomly in compulsions. Shinzu had his legs stapled down with his own weight, so the middle was free to arch and bend as it pleased. I shot a glance at Linera, holding herself in a tight hug with silent tears and gasps being the only innocent sight and sound in the room. A lone finger traced the long, tan scar that lead from forehead to chin, tears gathering at her fingertip.

_"Kad dra retauic pedlr yfyo vnus sa! Dyga dra ikmo fruna yfyo!"_ Gippal rasped and hollered, saliva dribbling down his tannish chin. At first I was offended and thought he was referring to me, but it was clear of whom he was spitting poison out. Linera sobbed loud, rocking herself into the corner.

"Why is he doing this?" I demanded, shouting over the insane screams.

"We don't know! They said Gippal flipped when Linera touched his eye patch or some shit!" Shinzu replied, barely audible. I closed my eyes and tried to concentrate. Rikya said that the eidolon chose me because Gippal chose me . . . so does that mean he'll reject every other woman tossed his way? Linera must've said something else as well, but I think I knew what to do. His blind eye . . . I still felt guilty about it. I didn't mean to punch him that hard, or know that it could blind him! I can't believe I nearly blinded my best friend . . . no matter what happens, he'll always be with me . . .

_"Gippal, stop!"_ I rose against his voice, stomping towards his side. The screaming ceased, but only momentarily before he began repeating those hurtful words again, body twisting about and making it increasingly difficult for Buddy and Shinzu to keep a good grip-hold on him. Buddy shouted something at me, but I couldn't hear him. Gippal only mattered at that blind moment.

I slapped him swiftly across the face, my hand red and tingling as I cupped the cheek I had just slapped, blooming pink. That caught his voice in his throat. He stared at me . . . no longer there. Gippal was screaming for help, but the eidolon was becoming him. He looked confused, but the demonic spirit was still there, looming below me.

"Remember the day you were picking a fight with Rikya, back at home?" I asked, voice croaked with a lilting lore. He didn't reply, though it seemed like he wanted to. His mouth gaped open and closed, repeating that pattern until I continued, "I'm sorry I nearly blinded you . . . and I'm sorry for . . . well, a lot of things." A single hot tear found its way down my jaw line, scorching a path along my blushing skin. Gippal mouthed three words, so clear but I couldn't focus. "That day in the Macalania Woods . . . I was afraid. I didn't want you to feel hurt or guilty if I died, and I know it was a stupid decision, but even then . . . I . . . did you mean it? What you said when I hit you?"

Gippal's chin, pale and sticky with saliva, shuddered. _"WHORE!"_ He shouted, trying to resurface his true self. "I . . . _NO ONE BUT HER_ . . . I meant it . . . I . . . she . . . _CMED RAN DRNUYD!_ Rikku . . . I've always . . . I've always . . . _loved you_ . . . _muja ec vun dra fayg!_ . . . don't go away! I love you more than anything! Oh Gods, nobody but you," he swore, wild, passionate eyes drawing me in. Gippal's body lurched towards me, a strength too crucial and salient to be kept at bay. Buddy and Shinzu toppled to the wooden paneled floor as Gippal jumped on me, slamming me down on the floor with his weight full on. I barely missed the sharp corner of a side table when I landed, head bouncing with the impact. I was numb by the time I realized that the eidolon had faded again, Gippal's true self pale but real and finally . . . there. He was panting with sweat dripping from his lips and palms along my chest and skin, heart still with the sudden shock. The room was filled with breathless pants and Linera's pathetic sobbing when I finally came to my senses.

"Thank you," Gippal whispered, twitching against me serenely. My whole world felt whole and placid as he stared up at me with his bright, emerald eyes, ringed with a sickly violet discoloring. His golden tan was returning, platinum, spiked hair muzzled and eye patch crooked, but it didn't matter. He was valiant and beautiful in my eyes, and staring into his . . . I knew he felt the same. He crawled up my body, slick from his sweat, and met my mouth with after lacing our fingers together, hands pressed together at either side of my head. This was our first real kiss since the day before he left for the Crimson Squad. Our mouths mashed together softly until it became harsh and desperate, tongues sliding together like dehydrated worms trying to knot a lock with one another; never letting go. He forced himself to pull back when he felt it become to risky, that he'd summon the eidolon, but the incubus within him was hushed and quiescent.

Gippal rested his forehead between my moist breasts, chest rising from lust thick in the air. I closed my eyes and imagined a perfect world, where Gippal and I could be happy, but all I saw were stars. But then . . . the stars faded. Where were all the stars going? I could feel the presence of a hurt soul, but it wasn't Gippal's or mine. It stood above us; ridden by its own angst and infatuation for an adept revenge, looming . . . I saw silver. My dress-sphere's weapons, curved and somehow . . . dastardly.

"You'll regret this," a pent voice hissed through squared teeth, raising the blades high above Gippal's hoarse body before driving them into what seemed her own downward spiral.

_oooooooooooooooooooo_

_A/N: You know the part where Gippal seems like her has tourette's syndrome? Yeah, that really reminded me of Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo. XD Wow, I ruined that mood for you, huh? Where to begin . . . well, I wanted to post this around the election but laziness got the better of me. So, I hope this cheered you up if you're depressed that Bush won or to help you celebrate because you're happy about it! Didn't that election go by fast? For Halloween, I went to a friend's party and had some fun, but I forgot to watch Young Frankenstein or The Nightmare Before Christmas that night! Weep uu. Any who, thank you very many for the reviews you've all given me! You guys are too kind, and you even read these author's notes! I used to write Harry Potter fics, so I'm pretty accustomed to, "Nice story update now bye," reviews. To answer a few direct questions: I've been writing since I first learned how to complete literate sentences and have been progressing since. I'm sort of at my prime now, but I know I have much to improve on and can't wait until I'm completely satisfied with my work. I insert a lot of myself into all of my stories, but I really try to keep Rikku on character. One thing, though, is that I don't mind as much about cities corrupting the environment as much as it may seem. I mean I'm well concerned, but I still try and give Rikku her own personality . Oh, and to Kouyukki who said she has my chapters on her computer and has read them about five times . . . holy crap! OO lol, That's gonna make it difficult for me, 'cause you'll most likely know what information I've left out and what hasn't been explained! Hopefully I'll catch that, though! You all seem to be pretty familiar with the whole computer situation, and I'd like to thank you all again for being concerned with what's going on in the author's notes! Brings a wee tear to my eye . . . if any of you have any questions concerning the story, myself, etc, feel free to ask!_

_Onto this chapter . . . I promise things'll start making even more sense soon. Am I rushing it? Going at a pretty good pace? Still confused? I'm always open at my email address (in my profile; won't allow me to restate it here) and I love the feedback and reviews! They're like gifts to me. XD See you in Chapter 8!_


	8. Naughty Nihilist

_A/N: Vadar is pronounced with the first a short (like a u) and the second a long. Be forewarned: I jump right into the action here. XD_

_oooooooooooooooooooo_

**Chapter XIII: Naughty Nihilist**

_oooooooooooooooooooo_

I gasped before I pinched a pitch scream, dulling the moment before an exuberant lash of black mist whipped out from Gippal and me, protecting our bodies from harm's way. The claws were torn from Linera's grip, flinging them skywards and piking them to the ceiling. Linera was thrown back in a jolt, flailing into the opposite wall feet away and slumping unconscious to the floor as she trailed a streak of crimson blood, smearing from the back of her head. I couldn't scream or close my eyes, breath bated as the tendrils of black mist faded around us. Gippal's head had shot up with sudden ferocity, eyes a film of a passionate red. Great . . . the dank angst Linera was breathing must've been so strong that it summoned you-know-who, intoxicating Gippal. This was not good. Where was Buddy and Shinzu?!

_"Time to claim my prize," a deep, husky voice declared, locking eyes with mine as he shot a muscular arm behind at his back, fingers outspread and legs eagled._

_"N-No! You won't have your way! Wh-who the hell are you, anyway?" I stuttered with a shrill voice, trying to squirm away from beneath him. I managed to worm an inch or so, rubbing a rash against him, but it was futile to try and escape. His incubus power was leaping about my skin, trapping me as well as was his waist grinding me to the floor. I gasped in pain, wincing as he ground himself up my body, the hot friction too much to bear._

_"I go by Vadar, but everyone who has ever feared me has called me Sycdan_," he drawled, greeting my lips with his in a lick. I jerked my head away, trying to focus. _Master?_ I thought with a furrowed brow, body slumping beneath his as the flickering force field became a searing oven, though the heat didn't make me feverish.

"Why are you speaking in Al Bhed? I thought you died over a thousand years ago--in Zanarkand, am I right?" I inquired, endeavoring to escape again but the attempt met futile.

"Your Gippal is a stubborn one," he murmured, nipping at my lip. "He uses his native tongue to root himself in humanity's anchor, but I'm afraid he's going to need more than that to rid himself of me--even your love saw no prevail," he sniggered softly, the dance of fire ringing around my skin. He shifted suddenly, lifting himself up slightly to meet my eyes. His eye was clouding black, tendrils licking around his pupil and misting around the whites. His eyes . . . his eye! I knew Gippal loved me and that it would be enough--proved to be enough!--that I could save him . . . for just a moment longer. I pondered the link between each other; what connected us, but the lewd, ardent glow of power caught me in its web before I could take action. I dazed into an alien dream, but I wasn't unconscious. Gippal--er, Vadar, was right along side me. Voices faded, ones that I could only suspect to be my friends', but it was too late. We were too far-gone, and I had finally submitted to the incubus's salacious charm.

I felt my body tingle to a numbing sensation, eyes lulling close as our bodies seemed to evaporate into the vortex enshrouding us. _Relax_, I heard a familiar voice breath, _we'll be home soon._ His words calmed me, my head was light and dreamy as I felt my body fall dormant and lame. Memories divided my thoughts . . . remembering Gippal and the fun times we've shared. I felt my lips tug to a smile, a tan hand tugging at a lock of hair and laughing in content as I jumped to the sudden action. The laughter faded as well as my smile, my universe spinning into a black, torpid oblivion. My orange hair stood out amongst the mist, but it was tangled in somebody else's hair . . . red? No, it was more of a deep crimson than anything else, wisping against my cheek lightly. I whipped my head around in the dead, black air, but found myself smacking against another's face. My body felt cooler, nipples growing hard from the exposure and chill of the air as my eyes met the stranger's. This was no stranger, though. He batted a baby-blue eye at me; lashes a dark scarlet alike his hair, calmly seducing with a devastatingly handsome charm. There was only one other I knew to have a child's playful blue eyes but empty and hard of a stone like an aging scholar's . . .

"Rikya!" I shouted, voice echoing off into the ether-real plane. My voice sounded boxed and stuffy so I wondered if he heard me, because his eyes never shifted or body tensed. This couldn't be Rikya, though--Rikya had long, flowing black hair! This man had short, feathered red hair with black roots and a braid dangling barely an inch away from his left ear. That wasn't the only offset characteristic of this man . . . he had a copper-toned eye-patch covering his left eye with fragmented jewels lining the fine band. He winked that lone eye at me where Gippal's blind eye would have been, then journeyed off for me to follow. I was hesitant at first, but got the hang of the swimming flow that had to be maneuvered in order to move about. He was naked alike myself, but again, something about it was horribly familiar--Rikya's posed, beautiful naked body was etched and burned into my mind. Every curve molded to this stranger's body; legs long, torso slender, and buttocks toned to a perfect rump. This couldn't be any coincidence . . . was this Rikya? Or was it an ancestor of his? There was no way of knowing, but one thing was for sure: this man was off. He didn't appeal to me like Gippal or even slightly like Rikya. There was something mute about this beautiful stranger that I just couldn't place my chocobo's feather on . . .

My world, once again, went blank.

"Would you like to save the world with me?" A stunning voice asked me, too dark and sinister that I thought I had imagined the words he spoke.

I found myself in a cold room, lying atop a bed so soft and form fitting that I sunk into its comforters by an inch. My hand found a woolly comfortable instinctively to cover my still-naked body. Shivering, I draped my undone blonde hair to one side as I pulled the covers up to my neckline. Wait . . . blonde hair? Did the orange dye wash out? But that couldn't be, that was semi-permanent dye . . .

A soft chuckle interrupted my thoughts, a familiar silky drum of entwining vocal chords. "Enjoying yourself, love?" A familiar voice curled its words around my throat. "My apologies for the temperature. I do have a fireplace but I've never grown accustomed to heat that I haven't already made with my body. Natural heat; a warm sensation one feels when the friction of skin builds up an orgasmic warmth..."

"Who are you?" I demanded, voice quivering from fear and unease. My fingers dug into the fleece blanket, eyes lingering about the male sitting at the end of the king sized canopy. White gauze concealed all open ends of the bed and dipped at the top near the ceiling, making an elegant tent of white sheets and silver pillows. The man before me--so familiar was he although I've never caught sight of such an endearing face--stood out amongst the glitter of pale and creamy colors, though his wan skin did blend with the ghostly silk. A baby blue eye pinned me to the bed, running a long, amorous stare along my hidden body, the blanket defining my curves.

"I thought we already introduced ourselves, but you may call me Vadar. You are my liaison, after all . . . it wouldn't be proper to scream _Sycdan_ during sex, though it does sound kinky, don't you think?" He drawled, crawling towards me like a hungry carnivore. That crawl . . .it was reminiscent to the day Nooj had sicked Gippal on me.

I finally came to terms that the creature I had yearned for and feared had at last trapped me in his claws, back to his time. Back to Zanarkand . . . and I had a distinct feeling that Rikya nor Gippal would be able to rescue me this time, much less myself. The horror must've been evident in my eyes and quivering bottom lip because Vadar stopped to hang his head in a chuckle. His shoulder blades shuddered with the low cackle at my feet, and I noticed a sheer, black material trembling low below his chest. It was a toga but went around both shoulders, the filmy cloth clinging to his muscles and gathering around his ankles, exposing fine, pale feet. Yes, he was a vibrant, black dot blotched out against the white sheets and creamy fleece blankets, but nobody looked more perfect.

Well, there was somebody . . .

"You amuse me, child. Do not fret, I will not bring any harm to you," he purred, nodding his head up to face mine with feathered, crimson hair covering the patch on his left eye.

"I don't think you're in any position to tell me to calm down," I quipped with shrill words.

"Maybe, but I do need you exposed and beautiful if we are to consummate, and what I want," he thumbed his bronze eye patch up to his forehead and a blazing red eye met mine, "I get."

"_Oh!_" I moaned sinking into the bed as my hands fisted handfuls of silk. My back arched, letting the warm blanket slip down to my waist and flaunting my breasts as my heart beat and fluttered wildly in my chest. I was filled with a tepid sensation, barely numbing my body as I settled back into the comfort of the bed. It felt like an enigmatic orgasm but wasn't.

"What . . . what did you do?" I asked, panting to catch up with the previous rush.

"We can do this the hard way or easy way. You just got a taste of the hard way . . . I don't want to force the unwilling," he paused as the corners of his lips tugged into a smirk. "That would be rape."

Who was this guy kidding?! He seemed unaffected by the idea, especially since we weren't exactly in the current time zone and the past of Zanarkand seemed to buzz silently outside of his luxurious loft without a care in the world. That brought to mind . . .

"I wouldn't have sex with you if you were the last man in this time! Now where are we? Where have you taken me?" I demanded, huddling away from his body that seemed to exuberate an aggressive and dominant aura.

"Impressive, you are quick to assume that we are no longer with in your period. I knew I had chosen a worthy liaison," he replied with a small chuckle, maneuvering his body to my small form.

"You didn't choose me," I said undauntedly, "Gippal did. I know about the whole eidolon-incubus thing ,you sadistic pig."

"Hmph, you're also a bold one."

"And I am NOT you're liaison! Take me back to my time period! And where's my clothes?"

Vadar suddenly appeared at my side with his nose barely an inch away from mine. "And what makes you so certain that I will abide to your _requests_? Do you underestimate my powers?" His voice hushed to a lull as his mouth hovered close to mine, hot breath enticing my to move in.

I let his lips tentatively touch mine before my elbow found its way to his ribs. Coughing and sputtering, Vadar gave me a bewildered look as I hastily hopped out of his bed and yanked aside the shear material enveloping the canopy that seemed to be what his toga was made out of. Casting aside more filmy sheets, I quickly scanned the room for a weapon--any weapon--to guard me against this beast. On a polished side table, my fingers wrapped around an envelope opener with a frightened grip, darting my arm through the gauzy linen with the blade ripping through it.

"I'm aware of your powers. Do you underestimate mine?" I asked darkly through gritted teeth.

At first, Vadar stared at me with that astonished expression, then suddenly erupted into a series of fitful cackling, unable to restrain himself. This really put a damper on my attempt to look intimidating, but my stance didn't falter. I waited for him to calm to continue, but he got to it first.

"Love," he spoke with a teasing hint in his voice, "you cannot threaten me! I am already dead, remember?"

"Eidolons can be sent, remember? Hmm, I wonder if physical spirits can feel pain," I sauntered closer to the bed. He lay in a welcoming position, daring me to make my next move.

"I'm not a memory, darling, more like a phantom. My kind are not relieved of this world unwillingly . . . we leave when we please. Just because I'm in my past now in physical form doesn't mean I can do so in your present. I need a host . . . you're Gippal, for example. He came strolling along the ruins one day and his presence awakened me. He has such a lonely heart . . . unrequited love. I was intrigued, to say the very least," he explained, sprawling himself into a comfortable position on the extravagant bed. He looked like a large, sinister but innocent looking cat, waiting to be pet.

"H . . . How are you able to do that? What exactly is an eidolon incubus?" I asked, curious but still managing to keep my voice at a liberally serious level.

"There are few of my kind . . . but ah, alas I've found another. I could sense straight that he was--rather is related to me by blood. You're brooding knight, Rikya. I can feel that you saw we struck a resemblance, no?" He continued arrogantly.

"You didn't answer my question."

"Very forward, aren't we? Well, as I was saying, when little Rikya dies his spirit has the elite choice of becoming an eidolon if he has unfinished business he'd like to attend to. He becomes a translucent drifter but is restrained to his deathbed, so to speak. I died here, in this room, when that bloody monster Sin destroyed my city. Among the ruins you see being rebuilt in your present day, there were other eidolons--but very few and very rare. They lasted no longer than a decade after death, practically abandoning their very will, but I prevailed. I hadn't had a woman a birth my prodigy . . . ha, well I had impregnated my succubus, but as you can tell she didn't survive the . . .," he paused to collect himself, as if hurt, but continued, "_incident_."

"So why do you have to impregnate me? What'll me birthing your child profit you?" I asked, raising a slight brow.

Vadar smirked coyly but with merit. "Well, concerning the choosing you part, I didn't exactly have free will over that. Your man is a strong one, one with a will of might, so he overpowered my mental control and came to you in mind . . . absently, in a way. But what will you having my prodigy profit me? Well, my damsel, let's put it this way: eidolons may also have the will to choose who they will reincarnate into. Soul's enter the embryo seven months into the impregnation, so that leaves me the perfect amount of time to linger--make certain that you birth my child to then become it, do you understand? I will be my own child. I devised this plan in my slumber. The Great Gods of the Farplane informed me of this, and I serve them to deliver the final disintegration."

"You . . . _You're fucking sick!_" I shouted with a somber intensity, gripping the envelope opener even tighter.

"Mmm, I know, my morbidity really puts me in the mood. Are you ready now? I will not hesitate to force myself upon you," he flicked a tongue between his teeth, extending his hand out towards me. I slashed at it with the razor tip but met air when he slapped his long, pale fingers around my petite wrist and twisted my arm towards him, making me drop my futile weapon.

"_Ouch!_ I'd rather die then see Spira fall into the your hands!" I cried with eyes misty from the pain, my body being wrenched into a submissive position by Vadar as he impended his exquisite will upon me.

"Your body is very honest, you know--it writhes at my touch but tightens below . . . I will miss this when we part," he murmured, forcing my legs apart with his knees as his head bowed towards my neck.

"I'll abort the child if you do pull . . . _this_ off! There are many alternatives! And if all else fails, I'll kill myself!" I exclaimed, failing to feign the desperation in my voice.

"Oh, you'll commit suicide, will you? That's the positive of being a powerful incubus like myself: we develop _many_ useful powers. I'll place a sanctuary spell on you when I'm finished so that no harm can come yours or the child's way: even self-infliction. It can detect when somebody intends you harm so reacts as an invisible shield for you. Of course, since I'm the charmer I'm also privileged immunity from the spell and am the only one who can relinquish it. Fascinating, my powers, aren't they?" He explained, raising his head after teasing the skin along my shoulder blade to make eye contact. His baby-blue eye flared for a moment, but the affect subsided when he distracted himself of talk about himself and his powers. Could this be a weakness?

"What . . . what other powers do you have?" I asked unsteadily. Anything to bide more time . . . but for what? My mind crossed the first question he had asked me. "What did you mean by saving the world earlier?

"Well, love, incubuses come with sexually-orientated powers, my sanctuary spell being one that branched off from protection of a loved one; that being my former succubus. I possess many sex spells, such as the orgasmic one you felt earlier and the power to manipulate, like this." His eyes darkened a shade of blue and at first I felt fine (all except the aching knowledge that I was naked and uncomfortable), but then a warm surge of tranquil power passed through me and wove along my veins, abating my fear of sex with this temptations being. I gradually felt consoled and comfortable beneath my courtier, a small smile lingering about my lips. It was like being in a high, a transude of wasted perspiration dissolving away. I knew it wasn't right . . . that I shouldn't have been feeling that, but nothing felt more pleasing, especially when Vadar uttered his triumph with a purr.

"Together we will make Spira bow to us, I can feel it. Once I enter a physical body of my own, I will make you my queen for it will evolve into an adult in a matter of one month. We'll go down in history," he spoke sweetly into my ear, maneuvering my legs into a welcoming position. Wait . . . these words seemed so familiar. They weren't of my familiarity . . . but of another's memories. Was it because we were back in his memories? Yes, but he had spoken these words to another, long ago . . .

"An eidolon cannot fully live in the body of another's that is not of your birth-right . . . your plan will fail," I said slowly, furrowing my brows as the words came to me. Vadar's body puzzled, freezing for a moment as I continued. "You are damned, Vadar. If you stay in that boy's body any longer, your powers will climax . . . then die."

"How . . . _what did you just say?_" He hissed, propping himself back up to face mine with ferocity.

I smiled genuinely, lost in my high. His late succubus's words were flowing into me, and I had a distraught memory of somebody who looked exactly like Rikya throwing my against the head of the bed, identical to the one I was reclining on. His fingers wrenched through my blond hair and gripped my scalp tightly, threatening me . . .

"You know nothing, wench. The Gods spoke to me! They showed me the way," the Rikya look-alike said maliciously, as if trying to convince himself.

"No, Vadar," I spoke softly, brushing a strand of stray, black hair away from his fervent eyes, "you didn't."

A moment later I realized that it was no longer a memory.

Ripping the filmy toga away from his broad, pale chest, Vadar pried my legs open once more and swept the linen away. Restricting and bruising me against wall, he pressed his hot body up against mine so fixedly that below his form was riding a rash against my belly. Bowing his head at my shoulder, he bit it painfully and rose my body up to meet his ready cock. My arms found their way around his neck,

mimicking the past, and urged him to continue with an erotic tenacity. Maybe it was the drug-like spell he had infused me with, but I no longer cared what happened to me. I had said my piece; there was no way to save myself this time. My body was demanding sex.

With one swift push, Vadar directed himself into me, tearing my vaginal tissue and making me cry out in pain. I was too tight at first, but I relaxed once he rocked out and pushed in a second time, a divine mixture of pain and pleasure. My legs rested at his buttocks and tightened around his waist, pressing him into me once we found a common rhythm. Vadar licked at the violet hickey he had made on my shoulder and began nipping at my neck playfully, but with a dark hint of angst. My moans overlapped my panting once he began to drive into me with a faster and more intense pace, cupping my damp buttocks with both large hands.

_Hey, check this out, I think a hickey's blooming on her shoulder . . ._

His size was over-whelming, rigid and full inside of me. I slid my head onto his shoulder, resting my cheek on it and making pathetic pants; breathing a hot breath of lust against his neck.

"_Ah . . . Va . . ._," I moaned, voice small and weak. His breathing picked up as well, pumping hard and ready into me with a languid passion. "Va . . . _oh_!" I whimpered, my body reaching its climax as I felt an intoxicating heat fill my body and down in my loins.

_She's panting really heavily! What should we do?!_

I entwined my fingers into his soft, crimson hair, my mind shutting down as its main focus became more direct. My legs worked against his waist and pushed him deeper inside, moaning loudly against the nape of his neck. This was too familiar . . . too . . . familiar . . .

_Rikku, darling?_

Vadar grunted as he reached his final climax, an orgasm so robust that as we came in unison and cried out with a lustful emotive, we collapsed onto the bed with me on top of his sweaty, gorgeous body.

_He has no power over you._

Resting my eyes, I felt his tender parts go limp inside of me, but I was afraid to release him. It might've be painful, and I was so wary.

No man does.

"She said it wouldn't work," Vadar laughed weakly, "all those years ago . . ."

_So don't let him overpower you now. Come back to us, and to Rikya and Gippal._

"You know," he continued after moments of silence; weaning from the over-whelming pleasure and letting the initial chilliness of the room settle in. "I can't remember the last time I was in the physical form that you see me in now. I look forward to becoming a real man again; an incubus and not entirely an eidolon. Marylyn doubted me . . . the fool. That was why I had to possess that boy's body. Ha, I was so surprised to see your Rikya. He bore a striking resemblance to Daroyn . . . hmph. Could he be his reincarnation? I wonder . . ."

_CHILD! Heed my words or you will never escape! That man is a monster! Come back to us and don't look back!_

My face fell from its serene expression to horrified. The reality of the situation took its toll, but in my silent panic as I rest against his fair body, the succubus's words came to me once more.

"I am stronger than you . . . I am," I whispered, closing my eyes with an aching headache.

Vadar nodded his head up, questioning me with his eyes. "What did you-"

"YOU HAVE NO POWER OVER ME!" I screamed, shattering his memory with shards of my own. They lashed out against him and ripples of blood trickled out of the cuts like a moat rising with the rain. As I rest against his writhing body, my mind fainted with his hissing and screaming ringing inside of my head.

_You have no power over me . . ._

"Rikku?" Gippal asked as I awoke in his arms. I blinked into the bright room with groggy eyes, my sight finally focusing past Gippal's blond head and catching the haunting image of a concerned Rikya standing beside him. One thing in my mind clicked, and I couldn't stop screaming.

_oooooooooooooooooooo_

_A/N: I so stole that line from Labyrinth . . . you know, "You have no power over me." I couldn't help it--the opportunity was too tempting and I found no other words suitable. So whee, there. I've only watched that movie, what, ten times this week? I think I'll write a Labyrinth fic after this one...Um, yes, so this is a month late! Sorry ;;. I just got really caught up in downloading yaoi and shoujo manga scanlations, not to mention j-rock and also played The Sims 2 like a crack-junkie. You know how hard it is to manage five people in one house that moves so slowly when you direct the screen that it's AGONIZING?! Little Jareth ain't goin' to school anymore, tell you what . . . I tried making him hook up with his sister but I need a cheat where I can restore their energy without having to do anything : (. It sucks. Um...enough about The Sims 2! So there's my excuse. This chapter is . . . eh. I was actually determined to finish it because a reader had emailed me about this story! I was happy about that, thank you! I mainly wanted to get a bunch of explanations out of the way and I hope that helped (though I think I've created even MORE questions!), not to mention this chapter was just one loooong scene. Maybe that's because I wrote it all at separate times. I actually wanted Rikku to lose her virginity to Gippal (SORRY FOR THE WHOLE VADAR POPPING HER CHERRY! uu) but made a final decision that this would be for the best (this being in drama, after all). I wonder if I have any readers left . . . anywho, so how are you? You enjoying the holidays much? I hate Christmas shopping, but being in the manga section really lifts my spirits up in hopes of getting MANY for Christmas, you know? Actually, are there any atheist, Jew, etc readers out there? I'm strictly non-religious but my family celebrates Winter Solstice (generalizing it as Christmas) anyway. See ya in Chapter 9!_


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